Soul Society, Magnolia Branch
by PartingGift
Summary: After the Soul Society discovers an anomaly in the dimensions, the Head Captain gives Ichigo and Kisuke the task of getting a group together to explore this new anomaly and establish a base of operations in the new dimension. This anomaly being Earthland of course. Follow along Ichigo and company as they set up a Guild Hall and go on crazy adventures with Fairy Tail! A/U IchiHarem
1. Chapter 1

**Soul Society, Magnolia Branch**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 : Setting Up**

"What's the problem with you?!" yelled an irate Substitute Soul Reaper as his father once again woke him up using his own brand of wacky violence. For his efforts, Isshin Kurosaki was rewarded with a strong punch to the cheek and a straight kick to his back, launching him out the window.

"Your reflexes have gotten much better than before, daddy is so proud of you! But that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you from now on." hollered a hanging Isshin. "Now help daddy back up please!" he pleaded.

At this point the grumpy orange head put on his shirt and made his way down for breakfast, coldly ignoring his father whose grip was loosening with every step.

"Ichigo..Are you there?...I'm starting to fall!..Please!" and those were his last words before the man-child lost his grip and crashed onto the ground below, breaking a flowerpot with his head.

Upon hearing the resounding crash and pot break, Ichigo allowed himself smirk to form on his face. He went down the stairs, only to be hit by the aroma of Yuzu's cooking. 'Smells like bacon and eggs, this should be good' he thought to himself.

A loud "Morning Ichi-nii!" from Yuzu and a softer and uncaring mutter of "Mornin' Ichi-nii" from Karin greeted Ichigo as he showed himself to the kitchen, eager to get some food to settle his grumbling stomach. Settling down at his chair he was served his breakfast by Yuzu.

After a thanking Yuzu with more gratitude than usual, he dug into his meal. However his morning meal was interrupted by a banging on the door. "Ichi-nii, where's dad? Usually he'd be here by now.." questioned a curious Yuzu.

Karin opened the door, only to have the urge to slam it back as she was greeted by a dishevelled Isshin with a huge bump on the side of his head, dirt in his hair and some leaves sticking out from his hair and clothes.

"Ah my sweet daughter Karin, I knew you would come to daddy's aid! Unlike your delinquent brother who kicked his own poor father out a window" Isshin dramatically sobbed as he made his way to the poster of Masaki Kurosaki. "Masaki! What ever shall I do? Our son is doomed to be a failure. I hope you forgive me for failing to bring him up the proper path.. He doesn't even have a girlfriend!" whined the man of the household as he tried to hug the poster.

Only a harsh kick to the side of his head snapped him out of it, courtesy of the other male in the house. "Stop doing that you creepy old man! That poster isn't your goddamn therapist! And will you stop going on about my love life?!" yelled a furious and blushing Ichigo.

"But other than Orihime and Rukia have never been seen with a girl, and I really want my grandchildren. Don't tell me that you're gay?!" was the horrified reply from Isshin.

"I'm not freaking gay! I just haven't had any time to pursue a relationship. Especially with **that**!" **That** being Ichigo and Isshin's way of mentioning the war against Yhwach in front of the girls at home. Even with Karin's strong spiritual pressure and her knowing about the spiritual world, and Yuzu's slightly weaker but still strong spiritual pressure, Ichigo deemed them unprepared to know everything about the spiritual world. Especially the wars that he'd been participating in.

"By the way Ichigo, Kisuke asked me to tell you to meet him at the shop later. He didn't say for what though" Isshin whispered to Ichigo.

Now that intrigued Ichigo by quite a lot. They had only just won the Blood War three weeks ago. Soul Society should still be recovering and rebuilding, and so should the inhabitants. So the chances that Ichigo would be fighting once more with the Soul Society was slim, and anything else would also be unexpected since Ichigo knew he was really only brute force. He wasn't good with admin work and he sure as hell can't heal people.

Finishing up his last bit of food, he went back to his room to get changed and headed out of the house to the Urahara Shouten. Wondering just what Kisuke wanted with him.

"Do not fret so much Ichigo, you have been through so much already. I doubt fate can throw anything at you that you cannot overcome." Was Zangetsu-no-ossan's input.

" **Besides King, you can always just stab and slash at anything that's in your way. Just like how you've done all the time up until now**." Was his hollow's morbidly cheerful input.

'I just have a feeling that whatever Kisuke's planning now does not bode well for me.. Just a gut feeling I guess' was Ichigo's internal reply. With a long sigh he stepped out of the house, slowly making his way to the Urahara Shouten to find out just what the madman wanted with him now.

Ichigo slid open the doors to the shop and made his way down the candy aisles, greeting Ururu on the way, as he made his way into the back of the shop where the bucket hat wearing ex-captain was awaiting him.

"So good to see you again Kurosaki-kun, you don't keep in touch anymore, don't tell me you hate me now?" was the loud greeting by the resident scientist.

"Shut the hell up Hat-and-clogs, last time we spoke was only three weeks ago when the war ended. My dad told me you wanted to see me, why is that?" Ichigo yelled back, clearly annoyed by the goofy man's antics.

"Always straight to the point as usual.." pouted Kisuke, unhappy that his usual antics were always cut short in their conversations. "The Soutaicho requested to see you actually. It's something that is quite important"

"What's so important that he would contact you directly instead of sending a messenger? I thought he hated you…" Rightfully so, since the head captain did not take treason lightly. And what Kisuke had done, or more accurately been framed for, was indeed treason. It would not have been so bad had Kisuke returned to the Soul Society after he was pardoned, but he chose to stay, grating on the Soutaicho's nerves even further.

"See, I have been tinkering with a new machine I had built. The results I found were astonishing, unfortunately after a week or so of me finding it, so did Mayuri. Boy you should have seen his face when I told him I had found it a week earlier than him." Laughed Kisuke

"What the machine does, is scan over dimensions, in particular Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the Living World. But as I was scanning through them, I noticed an anomaly. It was sudden. A portal had appeared out of nowhere, and life forms were detected on the other side."

"After that I reported to the Soutaicho and he told me to keep quiet about it, researching it in silence so it would not cause panic. At first I thought it was a one-time thing, but a week after that, a second portal opened, which was picked up by both Mayuri and myself. That's when the Soutaicho told me to gather people to investigate this anomaly, myself included of course. He mentioned you as well." Finished Kisuke with a grim underlining in his words. As expected since if this new anomaly proved to be a disturbance to the balance that the Soutaicho desperately wanted to maintain, he would no doubt give an order to annihilate the life forms that caused said disturbance.

Ichigo was pondering to himself during the entire explanation, whether or not he wanted to be roped into another situation again. And if he did get roped in, who would he bring along?

'I guess the usual Karakura four would be fitting' he thought to himself, smiling a little at the name that was affectionately coined for their arguably strange group of four by Orihime. The Karakura four was quite a fitting name after all, since it was him, Chad, Uryu, and Orihime. 'I wonder if Yoruichi is going too, it would be nice to have more fire power if we're potentially going to be put into another life threatening situation.'

" **I hope she's going, her and the princess would definitely be eye-pleasers, especially if our last moments might be looking at one of them** " was the Hollow's ever-morbid commentary.

"Quiet Hollow, Ichigo does not need your pessimism or your perverseness" Zangetsu-no-ossan scolded before he and the hollow retreated back into Ichigo's inner world.

There was also the issue of Ichigo's human life, was he really ready to abandon it once more? Even though the Karakura Four needn't worry about living expenses since the Soul Society generously offered to supply them with money on a monthly basis as a thank-you for their contributions. It was the general daily life he would miss; waking up to Yuzu's cooking, kicking Keigo in the face at school, hanging out with friends in a café after school and many more things. But if he could be what prevents the Soul Society from massacring another bunch of people, then he wasn't really left with a choice.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Kisuke. "What's your choice Kurosaki-kun? No one would blame you for not accepting this." The shopkeeper offered the teen a cup of tea.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice do I? I'll do it, and I'll get some people to go along with me" Ichigo downed the warm tea. Strange…was green tea supposed to taste like that? It was almost as if it had a hint of strawberry. His vision was fading to black and his peripheral vision was getting blurrier.

"I'm so glad you accepted Kurosaki-kun, I do hope you forgive me for drugging your tea. I had to come up with a contingency plan in the case you didn't accept. Truth be told we don't really have much of a choice. Now, now don't look so angry, I'll wake you up once we're in Soul Society." And with those parting words Ichigo's eye-lids shut completely as he fell into unconsciousness, but not without uttering a final phrase. "Hat-and-clogs, you asshole.."

* * *

 **Soul Society, Magnolia Branch**

* * *

All around him was black, an unending void of darkness that he floated around in, barely aware of himself. He heard his name being called, bringing him out of his comatose state.

"Kurosaki-kun…Wake up…Kurosaki-kun you need…Wake up please…Kurosaki-kun you really have to wake up now please!" the final shout was what got him to finally wake up, bolting upright he rubbed his eyes to clear his vision to see that he was in the captain's meeting room, with all their eyes glued on his sitting form. He spied Kisuke out the corner of his eyes and stalked over to him, a dark aura cloaking him menacingly

"Kisuke you bastard!" Ichigo smashed his elbow into the ex-captain's nose. "Why the hell did you drug me even after I agreed?!" This time he launched a roundhouse kick into his side before punching him in the gut for good measure.

"Had…to…make sure…you'd come" was Kisuke's pained response as he lied prone on the floor.

"Enough of this foolishness. I trust that you have been briefed on why you have been summoned here, Ichigo Kurosaki?" boomed the Head Captain, wanting to get this meeting over with as efficiently as possible.

Ichigo turned to the Head Captain, straightening his posture before replying. "Yeah he gave me the gist of what you need me to do, I will accepts on one condition."

"And what is your condition boy?" The Head Captain raised a brow, usually the Substitute rarely asked for conditions to be met before fulfilling a given task.

"I want to choose the people that accompany Geta Boshi and I"

At this, the Yamamoto widened his eyes, before relenting to the boy, but not without his own conditions.

"Very well, you shall be able to pick who accompanies you, however, you can only pick those that are not a part of the Gotei 13"

Ichigo tensed up at this, he had originally planned to bring along some of the people he knew in the Gotei 13, mainly being Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Toushirou, Matsumoto, and the Vizard crew. Now his options were cut down significantly and he wasn't exactly comfortable with random people to accompany him. He supposed that this would be as far as the Head Captain would allow him to go, so he accepted it without any argument.

Perhaps he could ask Nel and Harrribel, maybe Grimmjow if he was up to it.

"Fine, I accept. Now where's this anomaly that we're supposed to be researching?"

At that moment Kisuke bounced back into the conversation stuffing Ichigo's face with his favourite paper fan. "I can open up a senkaimon into the coordinates that I received from the anomaly, so we will be going in and hoping everything turns out fine"

"What else did I expect..." with a sigh Ichigo and the others were dismissed.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Magnolia Branch**

* * *

It was a full week after the meeting, and Ichigo once again found himself back in the Urahara Shouten. This time with the friends he had gathered to come along with him. Which unsurprisingly were the rest of the Karakura Four, Nel, Harribel, and Grimmjow.

As the group made their way to the Senkaimon they were greeted to the sight of over 50 people. They were all from different divisions within the Gotei 13. The only explanation for this would be that the Head Captain wanted to build up a branch of the Gotei 13 in the new dimension, fully intent on supplying it with enough manpower to sustain itself indefinitely. It was no mere scouting outpost, they looked like they were prepared to build and maintain a fortress.

"Ah welcome Kurosaki-kun and company. Give me just another 15 minutes, it takes quite a lot of time and energy to allow this many people to pass through." Greeted the Kisuke from behind his computer.

"The Gotei 13 sent scouts from the 2nd division to get knowledge on this dimension before we enter a few days ago, so once we get through I will have to brief you all on it." Kisuke typed the final word on his computer and all around his lab energy was rising. He stepped to the middle of the room and he stabbed his sword into the air and slowly turned. The gateway formed, its heavy red doors opened to show the Precipice World.

"Well what are you waiting for? Get going!" with that he shoved the group into the Senkaimon.

"What the hell is this…It's different from a Garganta" was Grimmjow's exclamation as he traversed through the portal.

"Well duh, of course it's different…" was Ichigo's deadpan reply.

"I think it's kinda cool, it's all oozy and stuff. It reminds me of red bean paste" Orihime stared at the walls, a slight hunger in her eyes.

"This place scares me Itsygo! Hold me!" Nel attached herself to the unsuspecting Soul Reaper's arm, making him light up like a bulb.

"Idiots…" were Harribel and Uryu's only way of describing the situation around them.

They only got a grunt from Chad who had no problem traversing the Senkaimon at all.

They finally reached the end of the Senkaimon and busted through to be see grassy hills, forestry, and a city not far off. And then they realised they were plummeting to the ground as per usual when they travelled by Kisukue's methods.

The loud cursing of the group as they landed scared off the wild animals in a large area around them.

"Oops, maybe I calibrated the Senkaimon wrongly? I'm so sorry" apologised the shopkeeper from above them. But everyone could see the humour in his eyes.

"Yeah right the super scientist that created the Hogyouku somehow messed up a Senkaimon"

"Now, now Ichigo. People make mistakes, you just have to accept that"

"God you piss me off so much…"

"Happy to be of service" Kisuke bowed, pulling his hat to his chest.

"For now we have to make our way to the city, apparently in this world, things called Guilds are extremely popular, and it doesn't take much to open and operate one. So that will be our main base of operations."

"Hah I bet I can reach the city faster than you Kurosaki, I'll race you there. If you lose you have to give me a good fight." Taunted the blue haired arrancar.

"You're on, if you lose you don't bother me for fights for a month" was Ichigo's reply. Fully aware that his speed was almost unrivalled, the only one that could potentially beat him in speed was Yoruichi, even then in Bankai he was pretty sure he could go faster than Yoruichi. But that would be quite a close call to make, since he would have to combine all three forms of movement; Shunpo, Sonido, and Hirenkyaku to beat her slightly. She really was quite a terrifying thing to race.

"Rule is that you can only use Sonido." Now that evened out the playing fields, it would be hard to see who was faster in pure Sonido only.

"On three … One"

"Two…"

"Three!" they shouted simultaneously before they both sped off.

"I guess that leaves us to take a merry walk to the city" Kisuke addressed the remaining Arrancars and Humans as well as the group of Shinigami, before starting to walk down the forest path to the city.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Magnolia Branch**

* * *

As Kisuke and company walked up to the entrance to the city they spotted the two orange and blue headed rivals arguing.

"I got here first and you know it, shitty Shinigami!"

"Screw you, I got here first and you know it, you're just jealous I beat you so easily"

"Like hell I am, who would be jealous of a loser? Especially one that prides himself on speed but lost at a **speed** competition."

"You lost and you know that you blue haired freak of nature"

"Fuck no I didn't, I got here two milliseconds before you did."

"Hah I was already waiting here for your slow, blue, arrancar ass to get here."

"That's it, I'm gonna beat the shit outta you to prove whose faster" Grimmjow started charging up a cero, pointing his palm at the Substitute.

"Fine by me, we both know I'm gonna win anyway" Ichigo unsheathed the bigger Zangetsu and pointed it skywards, charging it with spiritual pressure, making it glow blue.

"Hey, hey, hey stop that now boys, you don't wanna accidentally destroy the city do you?" Kisuke's hands were glowing bright with the promise of a binding kido.

"You stay outta this you shitty, ugly-hat wearing, fashion disaster of a shopkeeper!" yelled the two rivals before their heads snapped back to each other.

"Don't copy me you freak!" They said simultaneously.

"No you!"

"Stop that!"

"You bastard!"

"Screw this!"

" **Getsuga Ten** -"

" **Ce** -"

" **Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro** "

The binding spell slammed into the midsections of Ichigo and Grimmjow. "Chad, sorry to bother you but could you carry these two along?"

"Sure" was the brief grunt/reply from Chad

"Hey let us go!"

"Get these things off me you stupid shopkeeper!"

"Chad c'mon help me out here!" Ichigo pleaded.

"Yeah c'mon big guy help me out here so I can go beat that dumbass Shinigami to death!"

They were promptly silenced by another flash of kido, binding their mouths. Chad picked up the two arguing rivals and put them on his shoulders before stepping into the city to find the location they have to build the guildhall. The rest of the group had their hands firmly planted onto their faces, unable to believe that an ex-espada and the two time war hero of the Soul Society could act so childishly…

* * *

 **Soul Society, Magnolia Branch**

* * *

"Welcome to Magnolia, are you new here?" the guards at the entrance of Magnolia questioned Kisuke, slightly weirded out by the large amount of people with swords and the huge man carrying to smaller men that were squirming around in his grip.

"Ah yes, we're here to open a new guild! May we know if we are gonna have any competitors here?" Kisuke was never one to let an opportunity to learn more about a potential foe pass.

"Oh well welcome to Magnolia then, I wish you all the best. Just don't cause trouble here and you should be fine. As for competitors you have two major ones; Fairytail and Phantomlord. I'd watch out if I were you, those are two really strong guilds and they're not to be messed with."

"Thank you, I'll keep your advice in mind. If that is all we should best be on our way." With that Kisuke and the rest made their way to the designated location to build the guild as advised by the scouts.

"So what do you plan to do about these rival guilds?" Harribel asked the shopkeeper.

"Well they shouldn't pose much a problem, as far as reiatsu, there are two large concentrations of it in the city, which I assume to be the two guilds the guard mentioned. One seems much stronger than the other though. The stronger one has a maximum reiatsu that almost reaches up to mine. The weaker one reaches up to Grimmjow's. So all in all we should be pretty safe. Even if everything goes wrong I'm sure we can count on Kurosaki-kun, after all he is quite a monster."

There wasn't much of an exaggeration there either, Kisuke knew Ichigo's power at this point after everything he's been through could potentially rival or outright beat the Head Captain's. And he was still young too, it was a terrifying thought to think what kind of power he could possess in a century or two, his growth rate is unparalleled. "I'm sure you have felt how vast Kurosaki-kun's reiatsu can be at times?"

Harribel looked away from the shopkeeper, determined not to show her face and the slight blush that crept up to her cheeks.

'Is that a blush?!' thought Kisuke. 'It can't be…She's known for being stone cold, I must be seeing things' rubbing his eyes he looked at her again, only this time she was facing forward with no indication the previous blush was even there at all.

'Huh, strange…perhaps I'll keep a closer eye on her' thought the shopkeeper mischievously with a grin on his face.

The group walked up to the empty plot of land, just a mere few metres from the town centre. The streets were bustling with activity. Ichigo spotted an unusual sight as they started building up the guild hall. He saw a woman with red hair dressed in full plate armour ordering something from a bakery with a look of excitement painted on her face.

'That's strange, I wonder why she wears that, no one else wears full armour like that around here that I can see…maybe she's one of those guards.' Thought Ichigo.

" **I don't really care what she is, as long as she shows more of her herself. That armour covers up too much** " a perverted grin stretched across the Hollow's face in Ichigo's inner world.

"Must you always be such a depraved pervert hollow?" was the old man's only reply, having been exposed to the hollow for long enough to be unfazed by his perverseness. "Besides, Ichigo already has women that are interested in him, having more could prove to be difficult for him"

'Could you two please shut up about my love life?! And I do not have women interested in me!' Ichigo yelled in his own head.

" **You really are a dense dumbass king…why did I have to be stuck to such a dense wielder…** "

'Shut the hell up! You and I are practically the same being, so if I'm a dumbass, doesn't that make you one too?!'

" **Touché** "

When Ichigo came back to full awareness his eyes nearly popped at the sight he was seeing. The guildhall was fully built up and functioning, with a sign on top of the entrance that read "Soul Society, Magnolia Branch"

* * *

 **Soul Society, Magnolia Branch**

* * *

 **[A/N] Hey there! Parting here. This is my first ever story, wooh! Now it could be kinda confusing at first to those that were expecting it to be a lot more canon-like. As a fanfiction writer I took some liberties in changing up the events a little. So yes this is going to have quite a lot of A/U elements.**

 **Why? Well no other reason than some of the characters that died were my favourite ones. :D**

 **Plus I think the dynamics between the groups of characters will be much more interesting and funnier to read, especially Grimm and Ichi.**

 **The reason for some of them being here and alive when they shouldn't be alive will be explained in small flashbacks throughout the story. I do hope you guys won't mind**

 **As for updating this story, I plan for it to be on a weekly basis, so every 7 days you can expect to get a new chapter of around this length or more.**

 **I do tend to switch between the Japanese way of saying things and the  
Western way and that is because I read a lot of stories on this site of either style and they kinda got mashed into one for me, I hope it's not too confusing. **

**Next chapter you can expect to see the Fairytail bunch :D**

 **Reviews do help quite a bit since I am a new writer, so constructive criticism will help, especially from any established fanfiction writers out there.**

 **Till next time~**

 **Parting Gift**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Fairytail**

* * *

 **Soul Society, Magnolia Branch.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A Tense Meeting.**

While she was buying her strawberry cheesecake as usual, she spotted something out the corner of her eye. It was quite an alarming situation for her, seeing over fifty people dressed in black robes, armed with swords, and carrying different pieces of equipment and building materials. Understandably for someone like her, she would assume it was a hostile invasion, but she banished that thought from her mind once she noticed that the citizens of Magnolia weren't fleeing and screaming, and the strange people were not attacking anyone either.

She was further bamboozled by the sheer speed at which they built up a whole building. Even Fairy Tail with magic took a while to build the guildhall according to the master. There was someone outside of the guild that hasn't entered yet though, he looked just as strange too. Bright orange hair that resembled Loke's, the same black robes, two white and red shoulder guards, and a huge sword on his back with a smaller one on his hip. The orange haired man had a distant look in his eyes which soon turned into annoyance then recognition as he realized he was standing outside of the guild. After that he pushed the doors open and went inside.

'That's strange, I was not informed of this new guild. Granted, I was on a job but for one to be approved and built that fast is certainly not normal. Maybe I should ask the master about what's going on.' The red haired swordswoman thought to herself as she picked up her cake and started to make her way back to the Fairy Tail guildhall.

The guild was in its normal high spirited mood, everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves greatly as they chatted, drank, fought, or relaxed.

"Here's your food Natsu! A roasted lamb leg with extra spicy hot sauce and set on fire, just the way you like it!" chirped the eldest of the Strauss siblings, Mirajane. She set the plate down onto the bar counter before she started to prepare more food and drinks for the guild.

"Wooh! Thanks Mira, I'm starving." Natsu dug into his meal voraciously as per usual. Splatters of sauce, meat and saliva ended up almost everywhere around the dragon slayer's vicinity. Some of it ending up on Gray, who looked pissed as all hell.

"Can you at least have some decency when you eat, flame-breath!" shouted the angry ice-wizard, who at this point stripped his torso bare.

"Shut up stripper, at least I don't lose my shirt every damn second after I put it on" spat the Salamander, enraged that his meal had been interrupted by Gray of all people.

"You burn down practically everything around us on jobs, and somehow my stripping is a bad habit?"

"You cause damage too ice-prick, how many houses have you accidentally frozen solid?"

"At least they still have their houses after the ice melts, you just destroy stuff you dumbass bonfire!"

"That's it, you wanna fight? I'll roast your ass you Popsicle!"

"Bring it on! **Ice-make: Lance"**

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist"**

Of course, this was Fairy Tail, meaning that Gray's attack missed and hit Elfman in the face, Natsu slipped at punched Jet in the face. From there on out, a classic Fairy Tail brawl erupted. Elfman threw Gray into Cana, making her lose grip of her mug which splashed beer onto Macao, who tried to hit Cana but hit Alzack instead. Eventually everyone ended up in the middle of the guild, punching anyone and everyone, and getting punched by anyone and everyone. Soon though their fun ended.

A loud bang from the front of the guild signified someone's entry into the guild via slamming open the doors. As their heads turned to see who it was that entered, everyone paled. Erza stepped into the guildhall with a twitching eyebrow.

"What is going on here?! I leave for just a week and no one pays attention to the rules anymore?! Who started this mess? I shall punish them!" With those words all the wizards parted to either side of the guildhall, leaving Natsu and Gray still trying to beat each other up, oblivious to the menacing figure of Erza looking over them.

First Gray noticed her, which drained the colour of his face. Natsu mistook this as Gray being afraid of him of course. "Hahaha! You're pale, do you finally admit you're afraid of me and that I'm much better and stronger?"

It was at that moment that he noticed that Gray was looking behind him. Slowly Natsu turned his head to see what Gray was looking at, praying that it wasn't Erza. And it just had to be Erza…

Their screams were heard all over Magnolia.

* * *

 **SS,MB**

* * *

Erza dusted her hands off, proud of her work as she looked over the unconscious forms of Gray and Natsu embedded into the guild floor. She suddenly remembered why she had rushed back to the guild though. Erza ran to the master's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" was the yell that came from inside. She opened the door to the see the master at his desk doing paperwork.

"Ah Erza, what brings you into my office? Take a seat." He motioned at the chair in front of his desk with a caring look in his eyes. He knew that it took a lot for someone like Erza to confront him over an issue, so understandably he was worried.

"Well master, as I was on my way back to the guild, I stopped to buy myself some cheesecake," at this the master smiled a little. No matter how much she showed herself to be mature and stoic, she was a sucker for strawberry cheesecake. "Then I saw this large group of people, all in uniform of black robes except a few. They built up what looks to be a guildhall in record time under the name 'Soul Society, Magnolia Branch'. One of them had a humongous sword on his back and a smaller one on his hip, with some weird white and red armour." She stopped for a breath before continuing.

"I was wondering if you knew anything about these newcomers and whether or not they are a threat. So I rushed back to the guildhall to inform you. I would have done so sooner but I was distracted with disciplining the troublemakers that caused a guild brawl. For that I apologise, you may strike me if you wish." Erza bent down at a ninety degree angle, preparing for a blow.

"Now, now Erza you know I won't hit you, so raise your head. You have to get rid of that habit one day. As for the new guild, rest assured they are not a threat to Fiore. I wanted to inform everyone in the guild that a new guild was going to open in Magnolia, but it appears that I have underestimated their capabilities in building up their guild. At first I was unsure as well when I heard a guild was going to open in Magnolia from Yajima, but after consulting them a few days ago, it is true. The council approved of the guild and its master is someone that goes by the name of 'Urahara Kisuke'."

"Apparently the council is more than happy to have a new guild in Magnolia, hoping that they would be able to show a good example to Fairy Tail, keep us from causing trouble, or at best force us out of business. I don't plan to let this new guild do any of that though. But with that said we must not forget to treat them with kindness unless they prove to be unpleasant, whether it be character wise or if they are a dark guild in disguise." Finished the elderly master.

"Should we go over to congratulate them on opening their guild?" Erza asked Makarov, comfortable with the new guild now due to the master's explanation. However she still did not fully trust them, so going over would prove to be a good opportunity to find out what they are like.

"I suppose we should, I'll pick the people to go over with me. If there's nothing else, I might as well announce the news to the guild now."

With that they left the office. Erza went down the steps to sit at the bar counter and enjoy a slice of her cheesecake.

"What did you talk about Erza? You seemed kind-of rushed." Inquired the bar maid.

"Nothing to be worried over Mira, I just had false assumptions. The master will explain it all now." Erza pointed up to the master, who took his place on top of a railing.

"Listen up brats! I got some news to share." Everyone settled down and listened attentively to the master. "There's a new guild in town, it's called 'Soul Society, Magnolia Branch', as a warm welcome to Magnolia, I have decided to go to their guild to personally congratulate them. I have picked some people to go along with me. These people are: Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mira, and Lucy.

"Woohoo! Hey Gramps, if there's anyone strong can I fight them?!" Natsu was excited by the prospect of a whole new guild of potentially strong people who he could fight.

"Natsu Dragneel you will behave yourself when you arrive there. Plus their power level is unknown, it is not wise to pick fights that you might not be able to win." Makarov was genuinely worried about the pink-haired dragon slayer picking fights with someone that he would either severely injure, or get severely injured by. Since it was a new guild they might be wanting to prove themselves, and beating the Salamander of Fairy Tail to a pulp would definitely be something they might want to do.

"But Gramps! Who cares what their power level is, if they can put up a fight that's all that matters isn't it?" whined Natsu, clearly not liking the fact that he wasn't allowed to fight someone that could be really strong.

"Absolutely not Natsu, if you do end up in a fight, expect punishment to be dealt" This time Erza wanted to persuade the dragon slayer from starting fights, although she was curious as to how strong these new people are, she didn't want a potential friendship with a new guild to be ruined by Natsu starting fights.

"Fine…" relented the pink head. Crossing his arms and pouting childishly.

"Am I the only one kinda worried? What if they're really mean or what if they're super strong and they don't like us?" Lucy genuinely worried. The latter option was what really worried her though, she could handle not being liked but if they were super strong, they really wouldn't have much problem blasted her off the face ofEarthland.

"Come on Lucy, I'm sure they're not bad people. And I think we might just form some new friendships there." Mira added on, keeping an optimistic view on this whole situation.

"Yeah, maybe there's some cute boys too!" hollered Cana from her position at the counter. Both girls sported blushes.

"What?! No man would allow her sister's heart to get played with by a guy! I'm going too!" Elfman overreacted as usual when it comes to his older sister.

"No Elfman you shall not be coming, we need people to stay behind and protect he guild in case of an emergency." Makarov pitied the embarrassed bar maid. If he brought Elfman along, Mira would probably die of embarrassment.

"If there are no more qualms, we shall be setting off now." Makarov hopped down to the first floor and stepped out the doors, followed by the people he had chosen.

* * *

 **SS,MB**

* * *

The group stood outside of the doors of the guildhall belonging to Urahara Kisuke. They hesitated, wondering how they should approach entering. Should they knock? Barge in? Call someone?

Luckily, or unluckily, they had a pink haired solution named Natsu.

His solution? Why, kick the doors wide open and announce his presence of course.

 **BANG! "** Nice to meet ya! Name's Natsu and I'm from Fairy Tail, the strongest guild in Fiore! Anyone strong for me to fight?!" taunted the soon-to-be-punished dragon slayer while the rest of the Fairy Tail squad looked at him in disbelief, frozen for a moment.

"What was that kid? Strongest? So you're worth giving a shit huh?" seethed Grimmjow as he cracked his knuckles with a dark look in his eyes, his pride not allowing anyone to proclaim that they're the strongest as long as he was around. It didn't matter where, he was the strongest damn it! Yet no one thought so…

" **Hey King! Here's someone we can whack around a little, let me out please? I'll only make his death a little painful**." The inner hollow pleaded, showing his sadistic nature.

'Absolutely not' declined the Soul Reaper, knowing that it was hard to tell if the hollow was joking or not when he said he would kill someone.

"What was that you blue haired weakling!? You think you can beat me?" challenged the pinkette.

"You heard me, I'd beat you six ways to Sunday blindfolded kid, I doubt you could even scratch me" Grimmjow started stalking over, ignoring the shocked and fearful look of the foot soldiers, they knew that an angry Espada was not something they wanted to be close to, and the disapproving look the rest of the group gave him. "Hell, I don't even think your little rubbish group here combined could bruise me, let alone beat me. Bring your weak little guild along, you'll need them all to do anything to me!"

"What was that you ruffian! You may insult Natsu, but I will not allow anyone to mock Fairy Tail. For that you must be punished." The insulted Erza stepped forward, unsheathing her sword.

"Yeah, you can make fun of matchstick here but you insult Fairy Tail and you gotta deal with us." Gray stepped forward, ice forming around his hands and missing a shirt.

"It's our job to protect the Fairy Tail name, because we're Fairy Tail's strongest team!" Lucy added, preparing the key of Taurus.

"Hey, hey come on guys, let's not solve things with violence." Mira attempted to pacify her teammates, trying to prevent a fight. But with Natsu that was just wishful thinking.

"Yeah your guild is probably trash anyway! What's the deal with the orange haired kid and the weirdo in a bucket hat just standing there? Are they scared? I bet those girls can't do anything either! I challenge all of you, c'mon I'm all fired up now!"

Ichigo, Nel, and Harribel collectively developed an eyebrow twitch.

"What was that you pink haired shit?" Ichigo stalked forward, taking the larger Zangetsu out.

"Itsygo isn't scared! And I'm strong too!" Nel joined Ichigo, unsheathing her Zanpaktou.

"You will find that I am far from useless, child." Coldly replied Harribel as she took her stand next to Nel, sword out.

The two groups had a staring showdown, the tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Even so much as a twitch from either side could start a disastrous fight. Especially true considering Natsu, Erza, Grimmjow and Ichigo are going to get involved.

The first to move was Natsu, as he leapt forward with his fist encased in fire. He aimed for the blue haired cocky bastard. " **Fire Dragon's Iron Fi-"** He cut himself short as he realized his opponent wasn't there anymore. He heard a buzzing sound behind him, only to look back and see Grimmjow behind him, sword already swinging down at his neck.

 **CLANG!**

Both group's eyes widened as Grimmjow's slash was blocked at the last second by another blade, this time it was connected to a cane handle. "Settle down Grimmjow, no reason to kill the kid just because he ruffled your feathers a little." To the unsuspecting person it sounded cheerful, but to Grimmjow it was laced with a promise of pain if he didn't comply. The steely look in his eyes didn't help either. Begrudgingly Grimmjow sonido'ed back to his original position, unhappy with his fun being ruined. Erza and Gray pulled a still shocked Natsu back to their group.

The Fairy Tail group were in awe, never had they seen people move that fast before. It was almost like speed magic, but neither of them cast a spell or had a magic circle on them before they moved. Lucy in particular was terrified by this, understandable since she hasn't gone through nearly as many battles as the rest had. 'We just tried to pick a fight with these monsters, if it wasn't for that weird guy, Natsu might be hurt quite badly' the thought sent a shiver down her spine.

It wasn't until they payed attention to their surroundings did they notice that they were surrounded now. Blocked in from every side by men and women with swords, who now had the courage to move forward and fight, since Grimmjow had been efficiently placated, and that their enemies did not look to be too tough.

"Master, what should we do now?" Erza asked in a hushed whisper to her master as the group huddled closer together, everyone covering each other's backs.

"Stand down, let me solve this issue." Makarov assured.

"Ahem, May I please speak to the guild master? I apologise for my member's rashness. Please do forgive us, we did not come with ill intentions." Hopefully the guild master would be an understanding man, he didn't want to start a guild war.

"Heya! You asked for the guild master? Well here I am!" Kisuke pulled out his fan and covered his face. Meanwhile the Fairy Tail group had another shock. 'This creep is the guild master?!'

"Now you say you came without ill intentions, yet your member kicked open our doors and challenged us to a fight. Isn't that slightly hypocritical Master?" the cheerful nature of the man's speech did not ease the worry Makarov felt, especially when the man's gaze was a mix of accusation and warning.

"I assure you we did not come with that intention, it's just that sometimes Natsu can fly off the handle. Please call off your men, I would rather leave without conflict."

Under the stare of Kisuke, the Fairy Tail group fidgeted slightly, unsure if he would allow them to escape this situation without violence. The stare lasted for a while longer and the Fairy Tail group accepted that they may come to blows, they started preparing their magic and weapons. The tension was even more than the previous situation.

The tension practically vanished as the doors opened again and a soothing voice cut through the guild, and the tension. "Kurosaki-kun we're back from grocery shopping! I can't wait to cook somethi- Wait what's going on?" Orihime, Uryu, and Chad stood at the guild doors, looking at the situation, wondering just what had happened and who these new people were.

"Damn it Kurosaki, you got us into another mess didn't you? Why am I not surprised that even somewhere new you cause trouble?" accused Uryu as he pushed his glasses up with his fingers.

"It's not even my fault! Blame Grimmjow and pinkie over here!"

"Who are you calling pinkie, sunset?

"And what the hell do you mean it's my fault, obviously that pink haired freak started it!"

"You're calling me a freak? You have a hole in your chest and a piece of bone stuck on your cheek! And its salmon!"

"That's it, are you asking for another beat down?"

"I would be if you beat me in the first place, which you didn't!"

The rest of the onlookers facepalmed as they got into another verbal spat, except for Makarov as he realized the one thing all three of the main women in the guild had in common. Blood started dripping down his nose as he stared even more, only to be interrupted by a foot in the face. "Stop staring at the girls you creepy old man!" shouted Ichigo.

"Master!" shouted Erza and Mira as they went to check if he was alright.

"What's the big idea, attacking our master like that?!" Gray tried to punch Ichigo, emphasis on 'tried'. Missing completely as the Substitute leaned back, before he too was kicked back.

"Kurosaki-kun! Don't go around beating people up" scolded Orihime with a pout, since she wasn't one for violence.

"Wha- But…He was…Gahhh whatever. Sorry." Ichigo apologised to the healer with a frown as he looked the other way, unable to resist against her wide doe eyes and cute pout. It reminded him too much of Yuzu.

" **Soten Kisshun I Reject!** " A golden dome formed over the two injured parties. Makarov's broken nose and missing teeth, and Gray's bruised and broken ribs started being healed.

Mira, Erza, Natsu, and Lucy looked on over in wonderment as they had never seen anyone with such strong healing "magic".

Sensing that the trouble has been passed, the officers went back to their works, the ones from 12th going back to their research material, the others went back to practising and paperwork.

"So, if your intention wasn't to start a fight, then what is it?" questioned Kisuke, seeing that Makarov was fully healed.

"Ah, we heard a new guild opened up and we came here to congratulate you and wish you success. Of course Natsu isn't one to let a good fight go by, so I apologise for his actions." Makarov bowed his head, which Kisuke accepted.

"Well now, news travels fast huh? If you're here on friendly terms, why not stick around for a bit. I'm sure it would be beneficial for all of us if we could form a friendship. Care for some tea while we talk, Master?"

"Sure, it would be nice to get to know a fellow master better."

With that the two masters walked off to the lounge area, leaving the two previously warring groups.

"Well, I'm gonna go get a drink and sit down for a bit, anyone care to join me?" Ichigo asked before he left to get a cool drink to soothe his mind after this day of headaches. Closely followed by Nel, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Harribel, and lastly Grimmjow. The Fairy Tail group shrugged before following along.

They whole group settled down around a big table, all with cold beverages and light snacks. The only exception was Orihime, with her red bean, wasabi, and chocolate sauce covered pasta noodles.

"So, why'd you open up a guild in Magnolia?" asked Lucy.

"No reason really, just so happened to pick it. Wasn't even really our choice to begin with, the primary group told us to build here, so we did."

"Oh yeah, that's one thing I've been meaning to ask, is there like a main Soul Society?"

"Duh, that's why we're named that. It's a little different but still the structure they use is the same as us, thirteen different squads, each fulfilling different roles."

"Wow that must be quite cool."

"Mmhmm…" Ichigo sipped his drink.

"Bah who cares about that boring stuff, I wanna know what you guys did just now to move so fast." Natsu asked the group.

"It's just a technique we can use, Grimmjow's one is a little different from usual but the core concept still remains the same."

"What's the deal with you? All fiery and shit." Classic Grimmjow. If he doesn't curse or swear, it's not Grimmjow…

"That's my Fire Dragon Slayer Magic!" exclaimed Natsu proudly while flexing his right bicep.

"Seems shitty to me…" Grimmjow huffed before he was hit upside the head by Nel.

"Don't be so mean Grimmjow!" scolded the child-like arrancar.

"God damn it, stop hitting me you damn green bitch!" clearly pissed at continually being slapped by the childish arrancar whenever he curses.

 **SLAP!**

"Ow fuck! Not you too you damn shark cunt." He yelled at Harribel.

 **SLAP! SLAP! CLANG!**

Grimmjow was slapped twice from both sides by both women before he was slammed upside the head with the larger Zangetsu.

"What the fuck Kurosaki? This doesn't involve your ugly ass." He yelled as he stood up, unsheathing his sowrd in the process.

"It involves me because you're cursing at innocent people." Ichigo readied his own sword as he prepared to give Grimmjow a beatdown.

"You wanna fuckin' fight Kurosaki? I'd beat the shit out of you just like I did before."

"Try me, that was two years ago you blue dick."

Grimmjow swung at Ichigo, who parried his sword, before grabbing hold of his wrist and tossing him out the guild hall before following out, his zanpaktou at the ready behind him.

Nel was cheering for Ichigo, while Harribel looked over with annoyance and Orihime had a worried look.

"So, does that happen often?" inquired Mira, their fight reminded her of her own guild's brawls.

"You have no idea…" replied all of Ichigo's group.

"So how strong would you say they are? For someone to move that fast and wield such a huge sword as if it was a feather, they must be quite strong." Erza asked, interested in the orange haired swordsman's capabilities. Someone like that should prove to be a worthy challenge and opportunity to learn for her.

"Itsygo is the strongest person ever! No one can beat Itsygo, even if they do, he always comes back stronger!" Nel replied cheerfully, which made the rest of the group smile, remembering how he always came back stronger after every beating he took.

"Even stronger than that Flimsy Jaw guy?" Natsu asked incredulously, since he had first hand witnessed the ridiculous speed he was capable of.

"Yep, way stronger! He's the best protector you can ask for!"

"I agree with Nel, Kurosaki-kun is indeed the absolute strongest person I know. Not just for strength but for his character too."Orihime added on.

"And his name is Grimmjow, not flimsy jaw" sweat-dropped Uryu at the pinkette's horribly bad name remembering.

"Ah whatever he's called, as long as he's strong. Now I wanna fight the both of them!" He tried to stand and head out the door before he was held down via an arm on his shoulder, courtesy of Erza.

"No Natsu, I will not permit you to fight them. If it wasn't for their guild master, you would have been hurt badly." Contrary to what Natsu believed, Erza genuinely cared for her friend's safety. "And if that Ichigo man is as strong as they say, I don't think you will stand much of a chance."

Natsu was about to retort and go chasing them before he saw the look in his friend's eyes; concern, worry and caution were all present.

"Fine…I won't fight them" He sat back down and pouted to one side.

"Good, if it make you feel better you can fight with Gray outside the Guildhall when we get back." Her eyes softened as she was glad Natsu wouldn't try and go after them.

"So, how strong are the rest of you guys?" Natsu asked, still trying his luck. If he couldn't go after the two, maybe he could find a decent fight with one of these.

"I am stronger than Grimmjow, but not nearly as strong as Ichigo." Admitted Harribel.

"I'm in the same boat as Harribel." Nel told the group.

"I don't come close to Ichigo's power but I can hold my own in a fight." Was the low and brief response by Chad.

"I can hold my own against Grimmjow just fine, but Kurosaki has me beat." It pained Uryu to admit that his rival/friend was much stronger than him.

"I don't like to fight, so I'm probably the weakest here in terms of a fight. I prefer to heal" was Orihime's answer.

Natsu and company paled slightly as they realised that Natsu had called them useless and weak when in reality, they were pretty damn strong. Hopefully they wouldn't take offence…

"What about you guys?"

"Well Gray and Natsu are pretty even. Mira can't fight anymore. Lucy is weaker than Gray and Natsu. Out of us all with the exception of the master, I am the strongest." Erza replied with full honesty, causing Lucy to curl up into a ball at a corner mumbling to herself that is was unfair how the she was surrounded by monsters…

Begrudgingly Natsu and Gray had to admit that they were around equal strength.

"Although I want to ask, if Ichigo is the strongest, how come he isn't the master?" Mira was quite confused, since the guild master was always the strongest in the guild.

"Well…you see…" Orihime tried to find the right words to explain why.

Uryu on the other hand, had no such reservations. "Because he's denser than a rock, can't do anything paperwork related, doesn't take well to authority, has abysmal social skills, no idea how to operate an organisation, has too rash of a temper, can't deal with shady politics, and has no battlefield strategy whatsoever."

"Ishida-san, don't be so mean." Chided Orihime.

"It''s true and you can't deny that."

"Well, at least make it sound nicer…"

"He's not here to hear it is he?"

"Still, being so mean is bad…"

"So your guild master, Urahara, is someone with all those qualities?" asked Gray.

"Yeah, Urahara is basically the man to go to for shady business and handling situations. He always seems to have a plan for everything and anything. He's terrifyingly smart as well." Replied Uryu.

"I wonder what they're talking about…."

* * *

 **SS,MB**

* * *

"Ho ho, those girls you have in your guild are quite the lookers aren't they?" Makarov commented with a nose bleed.

"Your girls are eye candies too you know." Urahara replied with his nosebleed, only his was covered by his fan.

"So… Why did you choose Magnolia to open up?"

"Well we didn't choose actually. The higher-ups gave us instructions and we followed them."

"Ah that's why your guild is named that way. Say, who are these higher-ups? This 'Soul Society'?"

"The Soul Society is something you do not want to get involved in Makarov-san. Especially if they view you as a disturbance… They have quite a militaristic view on handling issues. That's why you see all these people in uniform in our guild. They're basically here to ensure that the way things are run are not changed from the main organization, so that if there are more people coming in to fortify this branch even more, they are used to how things work. We are basically building a fort. Maybe we'll branch out to other cities and areas. But they also serve as more firepower if we need it. After all, you need an army if you're gonna get rid of something big, right?" Kisuke warned Makarov. To be quite honest he quite liked this new world they're in, so many thing to explore and experiment. It would be a shame if they were to start something that either causes a disturbance in the balance of souls, threatens the world, or harms this branch of the Soul Society. He preferred peace, but if it comes down to it, he supposed that he could follow Soul Society's previous ways. He wouldn't like it of course, but if it had to be done then it had to be done. The same couldn't be said for Kurosaki-kun, but with enough reasoning, even he would follow through with an order, no matter how horrible it would seem.

"I see… I'll take your advice to heart then Urahara-san." As much as Makarov didn't like to be threatened, this time it really felt like the threat would be carried out. He was intrigued by this Urahara character. He switched so much between moods and attitudes but still maintaining this feeling of being one step forward over everyone else. Maybe it was just his own paranoia but he definitely was glad a wide scale fight did not break out. Speaking of that, he remembered that he would have to punish Natsu later. A grin spread across his face as he sipped from his tea cup.

* * *

 **SS,MB**

* * *

"You know since we're starting to get to know each other better, I've been meaning to ask you Harribel-san, how you got to know Ichigo?" Uryu asked the tanned beauty. Curious to know since before the war was over, Uryu never saw those two together.

"It started after the defeat of Aizen. I was bleeding out on the ground after Aizen slashed me, I thought I was going to die. Luckily, Ichigo and Orihime decided to search the battlefield for any survivors, and they found me. Ichigo was the one to notice me first though, he pulled me out of the rubble and asked Orihime to heal me up. I was hesitant to cooperate at first, since he was a Shinigami. But he was nice enough to ignore my hollow nature and save me. For that he had my gratitude. I was further surprised when he asked my name, and after I told him he shunpo'ed away, before coming back with my fraccion. They told me that Ichigo and Orihime both found and healed them. My gratitude only increased after that."

"We returned back to Hueco Mundo and it was all going well until the Quincy invasion and I was imprisoned." At this she glared at Uryu, still feeling the phantom pains of the shackles around her wrists. "After a while I heard a fight going on, shortly after that, the cage door was busted open and in came Ichigo. He broke the shackles and got me out of the encampment."

Erza's eyes widened before her own phantom shackle pains appeared. Apparently she wasn't the only one to know what being held captive in chains felt like.

"I thought Quilge was fighting them? I wonder how they had time to search the camp." Uryu wondered.

"Well Ichigo beat Quilge, but he started moving again with some strings. Luckily Urahara-san reacted fast enough and stabbed him again." Orihime replied grimly, she didn't like to recall these memories.

"Oh, sorry Inoue-san, I did not mean to bring up bad memories…" Uryu apologised.

"Wow, you guys have been through quite a lot huh? Geez makes what we do at the guild look like nothing… No wonder you're all so strong." Gray commented. He was quite unnerved by the fact that the guild master would kill someone but when it's under these circumstances, he supposed he could understand.

"Well, if you need help, I guess we'll be happy to help, right guys?!" Natsu assured. Everyone smiled at this, normally people were not as optimistic or happy as Natsu.

"We will be sure to ask if we do need help Natsu-san" Thanked Orihime.

"Let's move on to lighter topics shall we? Did you know Natsu practically destroyed Hargeon Port?" Lucy said.

'What's a "Hargeon"…?' was the collective thought that went through the Soul Society group.

* * *

 **SS,MB**

* * *

" **Getsuga Tensho!** "

" **Gran Rey Cero!** "

" **Getsuga Jujisho!** "

" **Descarron!** "

The environment around the two combatants lay in ruins. Charred tree trunks, holes blown into stones, craters formed on the ground, and blood spilt on the ground.

Ichigo was bleeding from his forearm after over-estimating his **Blut Vene** and from his side after failing to dodge a slash from Grimmjow. Grimmjow wasn't looking good either. He was bleeding from his mouth after taking a nasty punch to the gut, broken arm from blocking too hard of a blow from both swords, and stab wound that went through his leg.

Both fighters were panting, with Grimmjow being slightly healthier from refreshing himself after activating his **Ressurecion**.

"I think it's about time I kill you, you shitty Shinigami." Taunted the blue haired Espada as he launched himself at Ichigo, aiming to claw his throat. He wanted this moment to go on forever. After all he can't usually let loose and have fun since the agreement with the Soul Society and that wrinkly old fire geezer. After promising to be on good behaviour and cooperate with the Soul Society and by proxy Ichigo Kurosaki, he couldn't fight all out anymore, so this was a moment he wanted to savour.

Ichigo wasn't just about to drop dead to some arrancar he beat up two years ago though, so he grabbed the approaching arm and delivered a side kick, before trying to slash his chest open with the smaller Zangetsu. After he dodged, Ichigo smirked, and _threw_ the bigger Zangetsu at Grimmjow who was still in the air and unable to stabilize himself for a sonido.

Desperately wanting not to be impaled, Grimmjow twisted in the air so that only his shoulder was stabbed by the giant sword. Even before he landed he could sense Ichigo shunpo behind him with the smaller sword at the ready. As a last ditch attempt, Grimmjow charged up a quick **Gran Rey Cero** and fired at the ground below him.

He recovered and sensed that Ichigo had retreated in order not to get hit by the strong **Cero**. He readied himself to go after him once more.

But before either of them got a chance, they were interrupted by a talking frog creature.

"Halt! Your actions have caused a disturbance to the public and environmental damage. For this you are under arrest!"

"What the fuck are ya talking about?!" Grimmjow yelled. "Get the fuck away unless you wanna die, don't interrupt my fun again or I'll murder you!"

Eager to get back to his fun, he launched himself at Ichigo before he was hit mid leap by a spherical object smashing into his side, causing him to be hit into a tree.

"God fucking damn it, you really wanna die huh you frog bitch?" He prepared to leap at the terrified creature before he was held back by Ichigo. "Calm the hell down Grimmjow, it wasn't even that who hit you, it was her." He gestured toward the purple haired woman in a cloak.

"Good Afternoon boys, my name is Ultear Milkovich. We have gotten reports of two people wreaking havoc in this forest. Mind telling me what's going on?" she readied her sphere over her hand, a smug grin forming across her lips.

"It's none of ya business you slu-"a hand clamped over Grimmjow's mouth before he finished.

"We were just settling a dispute, nothing else. What do you want?" roughly asked Ichigo, he recognized a form of authority from her uniform. Stopping Grimmjow from getting them into further trouble, he shut him up.

"Nothing much, other than you to stop whatever you're doing and come with us for questioning."

"Oh yeah? You and what army?" Grimmjow laughed at her. No way this chick is gonna beat him.

Just as he said that, they were surrounded by rune knights from every side that appeared from the trees. There had to be almost two hundred of them… Talk about overkill.

"You just had to say that didn't you?" Ichigo facepalmed before allowing himself to be handcuffed. These goons and the girl wouldn't pose any problems to him and Grimmjow at all but he really did not want to potentially murder over two hundred people by going overboard accidentally. Grimmjow would definitely murder these people… And that did not sit well with him. "Just go along Grimmjow. It's just questions. Don't forget that you're not supposed to kill things you're not supposed to."

"Tch… Fine."

With that they were hauled into the wagon and taken away by a purple haired beauty for questioning.

* * *

 **SS,MB**

* * *

Orihime got a chill down her spine. She just had this feeling that something was wrong with Kurosaki-kun… Or was is jealousy? No, no, something must be wrong… After all what's the chances that he's going to be interrogated alone with a pretty purple haired woman right?

* * *

 **SS,MB**

* * *

"So, who are you?" Asked Ultear.

"Ichigo Kurosaki" was his tired reply. The ride here hadn't been comfortable and he could barely get some sleep with Grimmjow's yelling. Thank God his interrogation was skipped over after they decided that he wouldn't give any information other than curse and swear. He almost stabbed someone before they decided to let him go and ask Ichigo.

"Guild Affiliation?"

"Soul Society, Magnolia Branch."

"Age?"

"I don't see how that's relevant." Ultear looked disappointed by that answer.

"What were you doing in the forest?"

"Settling a dispute."

"By destroying the forest?"

"…Settled with violence."

"How long has your Guild been up?"

"A few hours."

"How strong are you?"

"Irrelevant." Damn it, she wasn't getting the information she personally wanted.

"Independent or Light Guild?"

"Don't know what those are."

"Independent guilds are not under the council but do not participate in illegal activities. Light guilds are under the council."

"Light then."

"What type of women do you like?"

Now Ichigo was getting irritated. "Irrelevant" he growled.

Tsk. So not gonna get that answer either…

"What's your goal here?"

"Irrelevant"

"Do you believe that the end justifies the means?"

At this Ichigo's eyes widened significantly. Why would she ask that? He thought of two very prominent figures in his mind that followed that logic. Aizen and Yhwach both tried to create their own world, thinking that no matter what they do to achieve it, the end would justify their means. To hear that in this new world unnerved him greatly. But now that he got the chance to think about, did the end truly justify the means? 'Perhaps if the means… No that still would be bad… But if the end… Does it really justify it? Were Aizen and Yhwach trying to make the world better?'

"You are conflicted Ichigo. That is not what I have thought you. Since when have you ever doubted yourself? Do not let the words of some new comer hold you back. You are not meant to stagnate at one position hesitating. Always remember Ichigo. Abandon your fear."

" **Move forward and never stop.** " Added the hollow portion of Zangetsu.

'You'll age if you pull back.' Added Ichigo.

"You'll die **if you** hesistate." The three completed together.

'Yeah you're right Zangetsu and Zangetsu-no-ossan. The end does not justify the means, there was no way Aizen and Yhwach were doing anything good. We saved the worlds.' But somehow in his heart, there was still a small seed of doubt planted in there.

"Ahem, if I could have your answer please Ichigo?"

He was brought back to reality by Ultear's question. "No, I don't believe the end justifies the means."

She just smiled at the Substitute before closing her notebook. "You're free to go now . I will be sending a bill to your guild master to be payed within two weeks of delivery."

As she watched the Substitute Soul Reaper get up and leave, she smiled to herself. 'Maybe you're the one. The one I need. It's going to be fun working with you from now on, ' She sighed and looked out the window. 'Maybe over the course of this whole journey, perhaps you could become something more to me than just someone I need to achieve something.' She took a sip of her coffee in the loneliness of her office. 'Just maybe.'

 **[A/N] Hey, Hey! Second Chapter!**

 **Uploaded this earlier than I expected to since I had some extra time, so take it as a treat for being so nice to me :D. Usually I will try and upload a Chapter every week. So this week's chapter is settled. A little longer too, do let me know if you prefer shorter or longer chapters. Anything uploaded earlier than the week's Friday is an early update, anything after Friday is a late update, and on Friday is just on time.**

 **Hopefully in this chapter some confusion was cleared up about the past. The stuff I haven't explained yet or were introduced, don't worry, I will touch on it and explain fully in due time with more chapters. I hope Grimmjow's cursing wasn't too out of hand.**

 **Alrighty so some Writer/Reviewer interaction time.**

 **To Bleached Guest. : For the characters that died part are the bleach characters. I haven't caught up much with the fairytail manga, which is why I'm starting off before the phantom arc.**

 **The material that I'm using will be canon, with maybe an exception for Senna since I honest to god love her character.**

 **The characters that we'll see are actually quite numerous to be honest, since it will be set mostly in the FT universe so a lot of FT characters will be seen. Now that doesn't mean that they will be integral characters to the story or plot, just seen and mentioned. Bleach characters will also be the same, since I do have a plan to introduce more of them.**

 **The whole Stark And lillynette thing didn't cross my mind at first to be quite honest, but right now I'm thinking of ways to actively bring them back since Stark is one of my absolute favourite arrancar. Maybe it might seem lazy of me to do this but if you have any ideas on how they could be brought back I would gladly consider them. At this point I do have some ideas on how to bring them back into the story but nothing concrete. As for Tatsuki, she will be making an appearance in this story so rest assured. I like Kukaku A lot but it would be hard to fit her in this story too, but I'm sure I could find a way.**

 **As for characters like the captains and lieutenants they will be part of the story too.**

 **I don't think the fullbringers will be making an appearance, but even that can change.**

 **Villain wise will be mostly FT – centric since the story is somewhat based in FTverse.**

 **Bleach villains may or may not make an appearance since im still cracking my head on thinking about ways to reasonably show a bleach villain in FT, especially since its already after the Blood War arc.**

 **OC villlains are something im quite hesitant to do, since I'm not very confident in my writing or my ability to create an enjoyable and creative OC villain. I don't want to add on to the stigma that OC characters are usually trash.**

 **Oh and Ichigo's harem. I plan to make his harem around 4 girls maybe 5. 6 is pushing it but if you guys want me to include a sixth girl I suppose I could. The current ones in his harem already, meaning that they have feelings for him (whether they recognise it or not) are Nel and Orihime. Harribel is a character that has briefly interacted with Ichigo so while she doesn't have feelings for him yet, she does have a fondness for him. So that's 3 girls down. The other three I might do are either Erza, Mira, or Ultear. For picking the girls I will let you guys choose which FT girls end up with him, but the bleach ones won't change. Mira might be a strong choice since she doesn't have a canon pairing. Erza can go to Ichigo or Natsu either way I'm happy. Ultear will probably be for Ichigo.**

 **Speaking of Natsu, I might add a small little harem for him too. A reasonable one like Ichigo's.**

 **Perhaps Erza, Lucy, Lissana, Yukino. I'll leave that up to you guys as well since this story is gonna be a journey we all embark on together, not just me. It's only fair that you guys have some input and impact on the story.**

 **Thanks for the well wishes, and your review really did help shape some of the foundations of the story and how it will go. I hope you'll keep reading and reviewing :D**

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 **To: Bunny153539**

 **The whole thing about Urahara for me has always been how he is a jackass to Ichigo and that's why he's funny to me. But for you that's different. I don't know how to write Urahara in the way that you expect/want me to, to be perfectly honest since the way im writing is based off my own feelings about the characteristics of these characters and how they are portrayed in my mind.**

 **Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated on helping me craft the proper character, I obviously have not much experience in writing fanfictions, seeing as this is my first. So for that I apologise and ask that you be patient with me and my explanations about things going on.**

 **For me the primary purpose of throwing things in without explanations is to interest readers in wanting the explanations so they form an attachment to the story, not to confuse people, but maybe that was poor planning on my side. Hopefully this chapter explained some of what you were asking.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to review and help out, it's greatly appreciated.**

 **If I'm being honest I don't really consider myself to be above the average author. I find myself to be quite average, but I'm hoping to change that over time. And the key to getting better is practice after all. So as I keep writing hopefully you guys will notice differences in quality.**

 **Thanks for helping out with the story and giving me more things to think about and plan to make the story firmer and more solid. :D**

* * *

 **To: TheEdgiestOfEdgelords**

 **Great name. I don't plan to make the Hollow side of ichigo to become a total pervert, he will be a little bit perverted but he will also have other qualities, like bloodlust. Which I think was portrayed in both chapters. But I will take your advice to heart. The whole Grimmjow and Ichigo thing will be explained through the story, but another reasoning for me to put them in this story is because of how they remind me greatly of Gray and Natsu in the rivalry department. The whole Harribel issue was hopefully covered in this chapter, giving you a reason why she has a friendliness/fondness to him, I won't make her love him immediately and throw herself to him of course. But as a base guide line that's how she knows ichigo and that's why she holds ichigo in a good regard.**

* * *

 **So overall I'm going to try my best to keep in mind about characterization and keeping things non-confusing and pace myself better. Like I said any advice is welcome. And do choose which FT girls you want to end up with Ichi & Natsu. Let's have a great journey together with this story :D **

**Thanks for Reviewing, Favouring, and Following!**

 **Signing off,**

 **Parting~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Fairy Tail.**

 **Soul Society Magnolia Branch**

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 **Chapter 3 : A Fight Stopped Once More**

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The doors to the guild were busted open by a kick, loudly slamming them against the walls. Howling laughter echoed through the guild as Grimmjow stepped inside the guild.

"Eh Grimmjow, you're back? Where's Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime was worried, Ichigo and Grimmjow both left but now only Grimmjow was back, where was Ichigo?

"Ahahaha, that dumbass is still getting interrogated."

"Interrogated?!" yelled the group.

"Yeap, he and I got arrested for some bullshit reason. Something about causing damage. They tried to question us both, but I got released since I almost killed some of them. They kept the orange bastard though. Grimmjow nonchalantly took his seat at the table and ordered one of the grunts from the fourth division squad to fetch him a drink.

"How did you get all those wounds anyway? You're still bleeding." Noted Uryu, surprised since Grimmjow's **Instant Regeneration** would have at least stemmed the bleeding if not outright healed his injuries by now.

"Kurosaki and I had a spar. It would have healed completely by now but something's just not allowing it to. Might need that orange headed chick Kurosaki always has with him to check it out." He turned his head from his wounds and set his eyes on Orihime. "Hey woman, you're good at this shit aren't you? Heal me already."

Orihime started her chant. " **Soten Kisshun I Reje-"** Her chant was interrupted when Uryu pulled her arms down.

"She has no right to heal you after using such an abrasive tone. Apologise for it." Uryu stared down the arrancar, unwavering as he let his Quincy pendant hang from him wrist.

"I don't give a shit if you think I'm abrasive or not, the woman is going to heal me and that will be the end of it. That's all that she's useful for anyway. She can't even put up a half decent fight." He inched closer to the pair, slowly starting to unsheathe his sword. "I agreed that I wouldn't cause trouble or attempt to kill Kurosaki and his group, but you're a Quincy. I don't think they'll mind cutting me some slack for finally finishing what they started."

Grimmjow now had his sword in hand and was ready to get into yet another fight, this time with the spectacled Quincy. That is, until he was stopped by a sword placed at his neck.

"I will not have you threatening your friends and insulting a woman like that. I demand you apologise to her." Erza was livid that the blue haired man would belittle and fight his teammates and friends so easily. To allow him to do so would be an insult to the beliefs of Fairy Tail.

"Do you and your shit group really want to die? The only reason why that dumbass still has a head was because of that fucking shopkeeper. He won't stop me from butchering every little one of you this time." And it was a threat that Grimmjow was ready to act upon.

"Stop causing trouble for us Grimmjow. Your actions reflect poorly upon the arrancars." Harribel was now the other woman brandishing a sword that was pointed at Grimmjow's neck.

"You don't scare me, you think just because that fuckhead Aizen gave you a higher ranking two years ago, that you're still stronger than me? Don't fuck with me!" He finally got too fed up and decided to just attack. He leapt forward and swung at Harribel.

She blocked it with her own sword before retaliating with her own strike, aiming for a stab at his chest. Grimmjow dodged the strike and grabbed her arm before slicing in a downward arc, wanting to bifurcate the blonde woman. He would have succeeded in causing damage were it not for the blue arrow that he found impaled into his arm that made him pause allowing Harribel to break out of his grip and aim to slash at his midsection.

Grimmjow rolled out of the way before having to block another sword strike, this time coming from Erza. "You really have a death wish don't you redhead?" Grimmjow kicked her in the ribs, denting her armour and making her fly back towards the other side of the guild hall. Satisfied he turned his head back, before narrowly dodging a stream of fire and swinging ice hammer.

"You bastard! I'm gonna beat your ass for doing that to Erza!" Natsu yelled out, before delivering a kick to the side of Grimmjow's head. " **Fire Dragon's Claw!"**

Grimmjow was really getting sick of the kid. He grabbed his leg before swinging him down onto the floor and charging a **Cero** aimed at his sprawled figure. That too was interrupted when he heard " **El Directo!"** was sent flying across the room by a punch. He pulled himself free of the rubble of the ruined wall before popping his joints, eager to get back into the fray. He now faced five people, all ready to inflict harm onto him. He was bloody excited.

He heard someone shouting above the guild hall, as well as the sound of something travelling straight towards him but he didn't care. He was about to charge into them, before he was engulfed in a blue arc of power.

After the smoke cleared from the explosion, Grimmjow stepped out looking much worse for wear than he did beforehand. He was now missing his sword arm, a good chunk of his side, and some skin from his leg. He still tried to persist and he picked up his sword with the other arm before preparing to release.

" **Hado Number 31: Shakkaho"** The red blast sent him flying back and crashing into a wall once more. " **Bakudo Number 61: Rikujokoro"** Bars of light slammed into his body, causing him to be unable to move. To add further insult to injury Ichigo positioned his smaller Zangetsu just shy of his throat.

"What the hell is going on Grimmjow?! I thought we had an agreement! I leave you alone for just a while and you do this shit?!"

"Oh screw you, can't I have fun once in a while? Besides I didn't even start this shit. Blame the Quincy, he tried to act all righteous and shit, saying how the chick won't heal me until I say it nicely. Fuck that!" spat out the injured Espada from his restraints.

"I can't keep stopping this Grimmjow. You have to stop starting shit that I always end, because if you accidentally end up killing someone, guess whose gonna come for you?" Ichigo put away the smaller Zangestu, opting to punch Grimmjow in the face as hard as he possibly could. "I don't think kneeling to the Soutaicho will save you a second time Grimmjow. And if he doesn't kill you himself then he'll make us do it. So stop with this fucking shit!"

"Tsk, fine… I'm still going to have spars, and I don't give a shit about the damage I do you hear me?" He was still trying to break out of the restraints, muscles bulging horridly against the unyielding bars of light.

"Let him go Urahara." Ichigo craned his neck backwards to look at the shopkeeper to signal that it was fine now.

Kisuke's steel gaze persisted for a second longer before he dispelled the bindings and whipped out his signature fan, expression and mood changing instantaneously.

"Alright everyone! Everything's okay now, no need to panic. We just had some maintenance issues"

" **YOU CALL THAT A MERE 'MAINTENANCE ISSUE'?"** the rest of the guild occupants shouted in disbelief. What just occurred was definitely more than just a maintenance issue. The statement did its job though, the tense atmosphere was gone and everyone was slowly starting to get back into their relaxed states.

A golden dome formed above all those injured and their injuries soon faded into nothingness.

Ichigo let out a loud sigh. "I think it's time for you guys to leave, no offense or anything but we have some things to sort out here. Come back again in the future." He addressed the Fairy Tail group, who did not have any objections. They made their way out the guild hall to walk back to their own.

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 **SSMB**

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The Fairy Tail guild hall's doors were once again kicked open by Natsu, and as usual he announced his return to everyone. "We're back! And we're not dead!"

"Welcome back." The guild lazily replied, not wanting to deal with the dragon slayer's antics.

"How was the trip?" inquired the curious bookworm, Levy.

"Eh…Well… It went alright I guess. Nobody got hurt…much." Was Mira's awkward reply.

"Much? What happened? It was Natsu wasn't it?" Levy set a disapproving gaze on the pink head.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault. The blue haired freak started it! I want a rematch, I'm sure I can beat his ass."

Levy developed an eyebrow twitch. The comment about blue hair rubbed her the wrong way. "What's wrong with blue hair Natsu?" Levy leaned in, glaring up at the dragon slayer. "Can you even comment about another person's blue hair when you have pink hair?"

"Hey it's salmon! And I'm not talking about you Levy, your hair is fine. His blue hair is just annoying. And he had this stupid face jaw thingy! I wanna just punch it off his ugly mug." Natsu seethed as he remembered his almost instantaneous defeat. 'He was a freak, no other reason. Even Jet would have trouble making that speed, and he looked like he didn't even put in effort. Then there were the other four. The blonde chick seemed strong, so did the big guy. His arm was really weird. Then there was that four eyes guy, how did he make his bow out of nothing? Was it **Light-Make** magic? Then the last guy, Ichigo. He was able to take down Flimsy Jaw with one big blue attack. Was that fire? Or something else? I can't wait to fight him… I bet that blue thing would taste delicious.'

Natsu was broken out of his thoughts when Erza nudged his shoulder. "Are you alright Natsu? Do you need to rest in the infirmary?"

"What?! No. I'm just as strong as ever!" as if to prove his point, he flexed his right bicep and gave a thumbs up.

"Well I was just checking since you started mumbling to yourself about eating a big blue fire. But whatever the case, I must go home and rest. I have to take a job tomorrow and I want to be ready for it."

Makarov took that as his opportunity to cut into the conversation. "Ah good idea Erza, after such a hectic day I suppose we should rest up. You're all free to go. I will speak to all of you about today on a later date. Except you Natsu, you deserve your punishment for causing a fight." Makarov started dragging Natsu by his collar into his office.

"No! Please! I won't do it again! Please! Anything but **that**! Gramps c'mon, have merc-"he was cut off as the door of the office shut.

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 **SSMB**

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Kisuke finished up the last binding and placed the now bound Grimmjow onto the couch and took a seat opposite him, joining the group. The main group now say around a table nursing their drinks. Currently, they were deciding on what to do with Grimmjow, would they send him back to Hueco Mundo? Would they ask for the Head Captain to have him jailed? Maybe execution?

"I suggest that we keep him, but bounded. Or maybe with limitations." Was Ichigo's suggestion.

"We should have him jailed in the Soul Society." Uryu suggested, still bitter after being hurt by the arrancar earlier.

"We should execute him. He will only bring a bad name to Hueco Mundo if left alone, and it would cause trouble for the Soul Society." Tier simply did not want the arrancar name to be soiled by the action of one idiotic one.

Kisuke considered this carefully and found himself agreeing with Ichigo's suggestion. In fact, everyone here would need a limiter if they didn't want to accidentally cause too much damage.

"Alright! We'll keep him! And I'll make a way to place a limiter on everyone here so we don't cause too much damage." Kisuke fanned himself, noticing that the group had no objections. "With that said I'll get to work, everyone go back to your rooms and rest up. And you Grimmjow, and chill here for the night in your binds."

The next morning, the group gathered around in the basement, staring at a huge oval shaped object being covered by a cloth. They were told to be there by Kisuke, after being violently awoken by him only to be greeted with his excited grin.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen! I am pleased to announce my newest creation of amazement and awesomeness. Keep yourselves in your seats for this folks, because it will blow your mind away! Introducing the wonderful, great, awesome, mystifying, amaz-"

"Get on with it!"

"Sheesh, tough crowd… Alright fine, it's a dimension bridge between the Soul Society and this dimension." Kisuke pulled off the cloth cover and unveiled a huge oval shaped device, the rim was covered in wires and lights. The middle of it was covered by two steel doors with intricate designs of flowers.

"So what exactly will it do, doesn't really look like it does anything to me." Ichigo huffed, not understanding why he had been awoken so early just to see a big metal circle.

"Well, when someone with a specific marking on their skin presses it against the doors, they will open to show a long tunnel that connects to the entrance that is located in the 1st squad barracks. The floor and walls of the tunnel are made of reishi, in a similar way to a garganta. This means that travel between the Soul Society and here will be much easier and faster, so you can expect a lot of people to be coming and going. But you can only travel if you have been permitted by both sides to go."

Kisuke walked over to the table and pulled out a stamp. "I made this too, it's how you get your tattoo. The process is instant, and the ink in it is imbued with a Kido spell, meaning that even if you try and copy the marking it will not register. I have different colours too if you want."

"So, who's going first?"

Ichigo stepped forward. "I'll get it first then, what colours do you have?"

"We have black, blue, yellow, green, red, orange, white, and pink."

"I'll get black on my right bicep then."

With that said, Kisuke pressed the stamp onto Ichigo's arm and lifted it a moment later to reveal a crisp black tattoo of the standard rhombus that appeared on the captain's coat, but inside of it was not numbers, it was the skull from Ichigo's badge.

"There we go, this mark now officially signifies that you are an official member of this guild."

After that, everyone got their guild marks, located at places of their choosing and in colours of their choice.

Uryu's one was white, and on the back of his left hand. Chad's was black on his left bicep, just below his original tattoo. Orihime decided to get an orange one on her right bicep. Tier got a yellow one on her left palm. Nel got hers on her right palm in a vibrant green. Kisuke forcefully stamped a blue one onto the middle of Grimmjow's chest. Kisuke himself got a red one on the left side of his chest.

"Oh and this would probably be a good time to tell you that these tattoo's also come with a limiter. Everyone here is at a very low amount of their strength, you will still be pretty strong in this world though, I think you all should be the equivalent of the average S-class mage if the information I have gathered is correct. Also you are not allowed to release your Zanpaktou unless you absolutely must. The limiter can be lifted and you can be in full power again, you just have to apply your own reiatsu to the tattoo and the rhombus should fade away, since the limiter is a modified **Bakudo** spell."

Everyone gained an annoyed look at not being told this sooner by their supposed "master".

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 **SSMB**

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In the Fairy Tail guildhall, Natsu and his team, minus Erza, were seated around their table relaxing. "Ahh this is some nice tea" commented Lucy. Mira really could brew up a mean cup of tea.

"Yeah you said it."

Natsu still felt uneasy though, he wanted to get out there and fight damn it. The master banned him from starting a fight for a whole week after the incident. "Hey you think anybody would be willing to fight me?"

"I thought the master banned you from fighting for a week?" Lucy asked.

"Nope, I just can't start one, but if they are looking for one, I'll give it to 'em. How else am I supposed to do jobs?"

"Well that doesn't mean you should just fight anyone Natsu. You could hurt them or they could hurt you."

The people at the table were brought out of their musings by the meow of a cat. They looked to the side and saw a black cat lying lazily on the table next to them, observing them with its mischievous yellow eyes.

"Aw it's so cute, is it a stray?" Lucy fawned over the cat. Moving over to it she gently picked her up.

"Are you lost little one? Do you have an owner?"

" **Meow** "

"I wonder if Mira knows anything." Lucy brought the cat to the bar counter. "Mira! Do you know of anyone that has lost a cat recently?"

"No one I know of, why?"

Lucy showed her the black cat she had in her arms. Mira squealed.

"Oh my God! It's so cute! Where did you find it?" Mira took the cat into her own arms, cradling it.

"It just appeared on one of the guild's tables. Should we keep it if it's a stray?"

"I wouldn't mind keeping it here at the guild, we should be able to take care of her pretty well." Mira was still hugging the cat closely.

"What's all this about a cat?" Happy flew over to see what the commotion was about.

"Oh Happy! Look you have a playmate now!" Mira showed the cat to Happy.

"It's not all that special." Happy turned away, jealous that this new cat stole was showing him up. "I bet it can't even fly or talk."

"Aw don't be jealous Happy, we still love you. Here have a fish" Mira offered Happy a decently sized fish.

"Yay thank you!" Happy bit the fish and flew off to enjoy it.

Meanwhile, the cat looked at the whole situation with confusion and mirth in its eyes. A playful glint of mischief in its eyes.

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 **[A/N] Apologies for the late upload people, it was quite a hectic week for me. Had to stay over at a friends house for most of the week and I didn't bring my laptop along with me. Its a shorter chapter than usual and not of the usual quality. My sincerest apologies. I will produce the next chapter better, that I promise.**

 **Thank you everyone for the reviews and positive feedback, it has helped a lot so far.**

 **To Goost : Thank you for the nice words, Uryu and Chad will most likely have someone. Its hard to find someone for them but I will try and see if I can have a pairing for them that makes sense.**

 **To Daisuke : I don't speak your language, if someone could translate it that would be really nice.**

 **To FORGEmaster : Cana will be kinda hard to do for Ichigo to be honest. Maybe I'll do it maybe I won't. Just gotta wait and see if I get any inspiration for it or not.**

 **To EdgiestOfEdgelords : Erza is my favourite girl too, which is why I want her to be in the Harem. And I don't think that will be changed, since I hate JerZa with a passion, and leaving her alone seems sort of weird. Juvia is already going to be with Gray so I don't really see that either. I think Meredy would be too young. Thanks for the review and ideas.**

 **To Aesir19 : Well the part about Makarov's intelligence may not be what you think it is, as explained in a later chapter. As for the other FT girls, I'll keep an open mind about it.**

 **To Bunny153539 : Thank you, I will try my best not to put Urahara through flanderization.**

 **To Ryner510 : Thanks man. Even the 6 girls thing may not stick around, if there is an overwhelming feedback for more than 6 then I suppose I'll do more than 6.**

 **To Strike Faster Than Starlight : Thats a good idea actually, I do like Flare a lot and she's criminally underused in fanfics. I might add her in to be honest if I can figure out a way how. Maybe in my next story, Flare could be one of the main girls. As for Orihime, I won't be removing her from the harem. At least for now I don't think so.**

 **Thank you all who reviewed, even if I didn't respond or mention you, that's really because I have nothing to respond with, but don't worry, all reviews are appreciated even if it doesn't show.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Soul Society, Magnolia Branch**

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 **Chapter 4: Set Sail**

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In a shady bar somewhere, a man named "Shinigami" sat around a table, addressing the group. "Just a little while longer boys, it took us a few days longer to get Kageyama to break the seal. He'll get us Lullaby within the next two weeks" He took a sip from his drink. "Soon, we will have our revenge. Just wait boys."

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 **SS,MB**

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Natsu opened the window and stealthily climbed into the house, carefully trying not to make noise. Ah there's the bed. He settled himself down and prepared the request paper in his hand. His partner-in-crime Happy also eagerly awaiting their unwary victim to come into the room. The heard footsteps and held their breath. Then they heard the door open.

"Hey Luce! I got us a job to do. C'mon let's go."

"Yeah Lushy, you gotta come with us, it's gonna be so fun!"

After recovering from her shock at being shouted at just as she opened the door to her house, not expecting anyone to be in, she saw red.

"What are you two doing in my house?! Did you sneak in?! Get out!" Lucy screamed at the two, shoving and kicking them to the window.

"Aw but Luce, the quest is really good…"

"I don't care! Get out of my house!"

The cogs and gears in Natsu's head began to turn. He had a plan!

"Oh well Happy, I guess we should go. I guess I'll find another Celestial wizard to take the Golden Key reward…" with a fake despondent look on his face, Natsu started making his way out the window. Happy followed through with the plan after realizing what is going on.

'Three… Two… One…'

"Wait Natsu, did you say 'Golden Key'?"

'Gotcha!'

"Yep, it's one of the rewards. As well as a ton of money, but oh well… you don't wanna go. I'll just ask Cana." With that, Natsu leapt out the window and started making his way down the street with his hands interlocked behind his head in a nonchalant manner.

"Hold on! I'll go with you Natsu, wait up!"

Natsu's grin spread from ear to ear as he sped up down the street.

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 **SS,MB**

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"Has anyone taken an S class request recently Mira?" Makarov questioned the bar maid.

"No master, none of the S class mages have taken an S class request recently."

A grim expression found its way onto the elderly master's face. "An S class request has gone missing. A recent one for Galuna Island."

"Oh that one? I saw a blue cat nab it." Laxus commented from the second floor.

"A blue cat?! That's obviously Happy! Why didn't you stop them?!" Mira asked heatedly. If Happy is involved, then Natsu was definitely involved too. And any plan that Natsu has concocted regarding an S class quest was not good news. An S class quest is not to be taken lightly, she knew that better than most people.

"Why should I care? Maybe the twerp won't return and we won't have to pay so much bills."

"How can you say that Laxus! You must go find them! You're the only one fast and strong enough!"

"No thanks Master" the last word uttered was loaded with venom as he barely managed to get it passed his gritted teeth. "I don't care what happens to him, you can go find him yourself if you want to."

Makarov rubbed his temples in frustration. "Where's Erza?"

Mirajane shook her head to the sides, "She's not near. She's on a job, but she should be returning back to the guild soon."

"Let's hope she gets here fast enough then…" Makarov took a gulp from his mug and hoped silently that Erza's return would be hasty.

A black cat took all this in while watching from the rafters. She smirked, finally some fun.

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Ichigo made his way to the Guild basement. Apparently Urahara needed him to be at the basement. For what? Only God and the mad scientist knows.

"Hey Geta Boshi, what did you need me for?!" Ichigo called out as he made his way down the stairs.

"Ah Kurosaki-kun, how wonderful that you're here. The Head Master told me to prepare the portal. We'll be going through the portal, so get ready to see the Soul Society again."

"What does he want with us?" Ichigo asked.

"No idea." Kisuke chirped, pulling his fan out and covering his mouth to hide his grin as he watched a vein throb on the side on Ichigo's forehead.

Both the Soul Reapers were brought out their thoughts by a whirring of a machine and the sound of the door of the portal open.

"Ah it's ready! Let's go!" Kisuke sprinted into the portal, closely followed by Ichigo.

Ichigo once again found himself in front of the Soutaicho. He was being closely analysed, almost like as if he was being judged. Finally, after a long silence and stare, the Head Captain spoke. "Ichigo Kurosaki, you have been exceptional in the helping and defending of not only the Soul Society, but the balance of souls itself. While this is late, the Soul Society would like to thank you." He turned to his side, and looked at a low ranked Shinigami woman. "Bring them out."

She almost bolted out of the room, both eager to please the two-time war hero and to get away from the Head Captain. She returned a moment later with a folded robe in her arms, a black box, and a smaller silver box.

This time Shunsui stepped forward. "Ah Kurosaki-kun. The robes are for you. They have the sign of the Gotei Thirteen on the back, in standard design of the captain's coat. It's to symbolize that although you were not a part of the official Gotei Thirteen given that you were still human, you still did such great things for us and made large sacrifices, which in the end saved not just us, but the world multiple times. It's the least we could do to show that you are now an official member of the Gotei Thirteen, albeit as part of the branch squad. The coat will bring you about as much respect as a captain's coat from the Shinigami, it's a little late but please do accept it. Now then, in the black box is my very own Shinigami handbook that I wrote for you. It even included some tips for dual sword style fighting. I'll let the Head Captain tell you what's inside the small silver box."

Shunsui gestured toward the Soutaicho, bringing Ichigo's full attention to him.

"Now Ichigo Kurosaki. You are the one that slayed Yhwach. A threat to all the worlds. And as per usual when it comes to war, victor takes the spoils. Inside the box are your very own spoils of war. We found this on Yhwach's body as we were rebuilding the Seireitei. It is up to you to decide what you want to do with it. Inside the box is Yhwach's very own Quincy Cross. We have done you the service of removing it from the medal and attaching it to a chain."

This stunned Ichigo to the core. Never did he expect the Head Captain to let him keep one of the main enemy's weapons. Especially something like his Quincy Cross. What would he do with it…?

'I suggest we keep it Ichigo, I still have yet to teach you Quincy techniques. This should be able to help facilitate it.' Zangetsu-no-ossan suggested.

Oh well. If the sword he has trusted for as long as he can remember wants him to keep it, what choice did he have?

"I'll keep it, thanks Yama-jii." Ichigo picked up the Cross and wrapped it around his wrist.

Yamamoto felt his rage building at being referred to so childishly. He kept himself in control and glared at the teenager.

"That will be all child. Urahara Kisuke, come over here." Once again, he gestured toward the girl.

This time she came back with another white robe. "This robe, is a way to officially lift your exile as well as welcome you back into the Gotei Thirteen. You are now recognized as a captain once more. Though you will not be in the Soul Society branch, you are now the official captain of the Magnolia Branch as you have named it. You may choose your lieutenant."

This time Kisuke had nothing to say. He chose instead to pull his hat off, give his widest smile, and bow. When he came back up, the smile changed. Before it was genuine, now its malicious. He directed his smile toward Ichigo.

Ichigo caught on, and he paled.

"My choice of lieutenant will be Ichigo Kurosaki sir."

"Very well, your lieutenant from now on shall be Ichigo Kurosaki. Now one final announcement. In a week's time, a captain from the Gotei Thirteen will be sent over to check on operations and determine if reinforcements will be needed. You are all dismissed." Yamamoto hit the floor with his cane, sending out a loud thud to represent the finality of his words. Ichigo was still left gaping, unbelieving that he became the creepy hobo-looking scientist's lieutenant.

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"Sir, is it a good idea to give Kurosaki the Cross?" Soifon asked her commander in a hushed tone. "Why would you do it anyway?" Soifon was never one to question the Head Captain, but this seemed ridiculous.

"Firstly, do not ever question me child. You are a thousand years too early to question my decision with such nonchalance.

"Secondly, we must keep a good relationship with the substitute. Do not forget, though he is young, he is immensely strong. He can still be swayed into an enemy's grasp. If they manage to use him against us, I fear it will be a great threat."

"Thirdly, we have no use for the Cross. Perhaps the boy could put it to good use under the watchful eyes of Urahara." With those parting words, he shunpo'd away, eager to enjoy his tea in his barracks.

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Kisuke and Ichigo stood in the basement of the guildhall. "Ah Kurosaki-kun, are you going to figure out how to use the cross?"

"Yeah, I figured I'd head out to the forest to get some bit of training in."

"I see, remember to keep the limiter on."

"I will." Ichigo sped out the guildhall with a shunpo. Admittedly being much slower than before due to the limiter.

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He soon found a quaint little clearing in the forest where he sat down and entered his Inner World. He was greeted by the sight of the serious Quincy manifestation.

"Yo Ossan. Let's get this Quincy training underway huh?"

"We shall Ichigo, but first, before all else you must attain some control over your Reiatsu."

"Damn it…" There was no lying, Ichigo absolutely sucked at controlling reiatsu.

"Imagine yourself grabbing hold of the edges of your reiatsu and pulling them in. We cannot control it for you forever Ichigo, especially so for Quincy techniques. The method should be familiar to you as your previous Bankai did a similar thing."

With closed eyes and gritted teeth, Ichigo concentrated hard. He could barely even feel the edges of his Reiatsu, much less grab it. He thought back to the sensations of his old Bankai, how it felt and how it worked. It seemed so simple at the time. Just grab and pull… grab and pull… grab and pull!

With heavy effort, Ichigo finally managed to reign in some of his reiatsu. But it definitely wasn't enough, considering the look on the manifestation's face. This was gonna take a while…

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After a few grueling hours of concentrating and trying to pull something he could barely even feel, the old man finally gave his approval.

"At this level, you should be able to use basic techniques. We will have to work on your control more from now on. For now just use the basics. Infuse the Cross with your own reiatsu then use it as a catalyst to manipulate your reiatsu and the environment's to form your bow."

Ichigo did as was told. Though with great amounts of effort. It was a completely new topic for him, why couldn't he just rush through this like everything else?

Despite being unable to the first few attempts, his Cross finally started glowing. The bow started taking shape. Blue reiatsu started jutting off his hand upwards and downwards until from top to bottom they were the same height at his first Shikai form. They got refined from wispy blue reiatsu to a black colour before they eventually stabilized into a huge black metal bow.

The handle was wrapped in white cloth, with some of it unused and fluttering in the wind. The base of the bow arms were thicker than a usual bow's, almost three times as thick actually. They got thinner though as they reached the bow string, which incidentally was made of reishi.

"Woah, it reminds me of the old Zangetsu blade."

"You should not be surprised, at the time you thought I was your Zanpaktou. Right now I am your Quincy manifestation. So of course it will take after the blade."

"Wait so technically I could form the old blade like how I formed the bow?"

A tick mark formed on the side of Zangetsu's head.

"Get your basics down first before deciding to do anything too fancy." Chided the elderly part of Ichigo's soul.

"Geez alright alright, I'll get your bow down first."

"Good, if you wish to practice with it then practice in the real world. You should be able to summon it there."

"Alright, it's about time I get out of this wonky place anyway."

"Oh and Ichigo, as an added training method, you are forbidden from fighting with anything other than your Quincy techniques until you are at a level where I am able to begin teaching you how to unlock your Vollstandig."

Ichigo paled and gulped before he left. He was not looking forward to using something like this and potentially getting his ass kicked by Grimmjow… Or even worse… Being thought by Uryu. The thought alone made him nauseous. Damn, looks like he'll have to train hard.

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked toward the sky. Judging from the sun's position, a few hours must have passed. He got himself ready before attempting to manifest his bow. A few seconds of concentrating later and he found the humongous metal bow in his hand again. Strange, just like his old sword, it didn't weigh a feather to him.

He readied himself and formed an arrow. It was made of blue reishi and its edges were wispy and flame like. He pulled back the bow string and took aim at a random tree. He took a breath, held it, and let loose. The arrow travelled straight and true and struck the tree with enough force to jut out the back of the tree slightly.

'I suppose that's a decent result for now.'

'Not to worry Ichigo, as you get more familiar to the Heilig Bogen and controlling reiatsu and reishi, your arrows and your Heilig Pfiels will also get much stronger. Do not forgot that you also have a limiter placed.' Encouraged Zangetsu-no-Ossan.

' **But remember King, just because you need to use these stupid Quincy techniques, it doesn't give you an excuse to get shit at using me**.' Warned his hollow/sword.

'Yeah yeah I got it. Now shut up and let me practice.' Bit back Ichigo.

' **Hehe, I'll make sure to test you King**.' With that, both pieces of his soul disappeared into the back of his mind once more.

He readied another arrow.

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After practicing for almost two hours straight, Ichigo was panting and the surrounding area was full of large puncture wounds courtesy of him. He was lying down on his back sprawled out, staring at the blue sky above.

" **Meow** "

Ichigo sat up and looked to his side, seeing a black cat. His eyes widened with shock before calming down. After all to him there was no way Yoruichi would be here.

"Hey there little fella-"

" **Meow** " if he didn't know better, Ichigo would have thought the cat was glaring at him.

"Okay, little girl?"

" **Meow** " Now it looked pleased.

"So what are ya doin' here little girl? Are you lost?" Ichigo picked her up and tried to look for a collar.

" **Meow** " The cat squirmed in his grip and sat at the floor looking up at him.

"You remind me a lot of Yoruichi you know? She's my teacher… well of sorts. She's in the Soul Society right now. I think Soifon would love to keep you as a pet."

" **Meow** " The cat seemed to smile up at him before curling around his wrist and lied down. Ichigo decided to follow and do the same, he sprawled back onto the ground. He was still catching his breath from the training session. He got better that's for sure, but only marginally. He felt a weight settle itself onto his chest. He looked up down to see the cat now sleeping on his chest. He decided to close his eyes as well.

'He looks so peaceful, I almost don't want to do this. Almost.' The cat got an evil grin and it readied its claws.

 **Scratch**

"Argh what the hell, why'd you do that!" shouted the angry orange head, clutching his face.

" **Meow** " the cat bit onto the middle of the smaller Zangetsu and leapt away, running at practically shunpo speeds.

"Hey get back here!" Ichigo started to chase the cat down with his own slow shunpo. It was embarrassing really, losing to a cat when you have a practical super speed technique.

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Ichigo was hot on its tail. Literally. The devious little creature ducked beneath fruit stalls and in between people's legs. He chased the cat to the docks and it didn't seem to get any slower. Deciding to cheat a little, he decided to put in a little bit of sonido in his next shunpo to catch it by surprise. The cat of course, saw this coming from a mile away. The moment Ichigo sped up, it dived between two armoured legs.

 **Clang!**

Ichigo and the person he crashed into were both now on their butts. God damn that hurt. Who wears armour for no reason…?

"You shall pay running into me, now accept your punishme- Ichigo?" came a distinct female voice.

He looked up to see scarlet hair, she looked familiar… Oh yeah she was one of the visitors to the guild.

"Sorry about that, uh… Erza?" He was unsure of her name. He only heard it in passing mention.

Catching onto his slight doubt, she eased his worry. "No problem, and yes, my name is Erza."

"Ah alright, I'm sorry anyway. Have you seen a black cat around here?"

"You mean that one?" She pointed behind him.

There was the wretched creature still with his sword in its mouth. It gently put it down before disappearing into the crowd by running away.

"Hey! Wait!" He tried to chase after her but he was gone, almost like the Onmitsukido does.

Erza began to contemplate an idea. Would Ichigo agree to come with her to bring back Natsu, Gray and Lucy? Extra power would definitely help, and with his speed, he should be able to round them up easily.

"Sorry to bother you Ichigo, but are you free at the moment?"

"Uh yeah, why?"

"May I ask that you come with me to Galuna Island to bring back Natsu, Gray and Lucy? They snuck off to an S class mission and need to be brought back for both their safety and punishment."

"Sigh… Fine, I'll go with you. I don't wanna see them hurt either. Think of it as my way of repaying you for bumping into you."

"Perfect, let's find a vessel and make our way there."

Erza found her choice of vessel a moment later. A pirate ship to be exact. After threatening the captain and crew, they set sail toward Galuna Island to bring back a few trouble makers.

* * *

 **[A/N] Heyo people! Another chapter up just before the holidays. I hope everyone have a happy and safe Christmas! To clear a little confusion, I'm putting the Galuna Island arc before the Eisenwald arc. Main reason is just to give Ichigo some interaction with the demons using his new quincy powers.**

 **Originally I wanted to let Ichigo use Masaki's Quincy Cross, but I decided to let him use Yhwach's one instead.**

 **Now some answering.**

 **To Goost: Thanks for the review once again, you've been quite helpful. Yeah other than Alvarez and Acnologia there's not much, although if they do want to finish a fight early, they might have to use it. Uryu and Nemu is actually a pairing I dig quite a lot, Minerva is also a viable option though it will be hard to get their characters to have chemistry, but I suppose I could find a way. As for Chad, I already have plans for Yukino so she's out. Maybe Sherry Blendy? Jenny maybe? Maybe Éclair? There's some pairings I've thought of. Im still brainstorming about how to introduce Stark and Lily though, or to bring them back. Another character I have been exploring on how to bring back is actually Gin.**

 **To Daizuke: Once again I don't understand… Me no hable espaniol amigo. But for your large harem, don't worry he will have a decently sized one. As for chapter length, it depends on that week for me honestly, it's quite hectic for me, although I will try and make the chapters longer. I can infer a little and say that perhaps you don't want me to pair Ichigo and Orihime, well I like the pairing personally but the pairing can change. I could just make it a one sided Harem to be honest since Ichigo tends to be supremely dense.**

 **To ZERO: Right now :3**

 **To Wellthatdidn'twork: Thank you! For the encouragement and translation.**

 **To .927: Glad you do!**

 **To Chaos-guard: Thank you!**

 **To Bladetri: Glad you liked it.**

 **Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'll see you all in my next chapter.**

 **Toodles~**

 **PartingGift.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Rough Reunion**

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" **Ice-Make Floor!"**

The giant rodent slipped and was promptly knocked out, with bruises on its body from Natsu's beating. The ugly thing was doing its job as it was told and tried to deter the wandering wizards using her foul breath. Of course the result of that was getting pummelled by the pink-haired Dragon slayer and the shirtless ice-mage.

The group left the rat behind, exploring further into the island to find out the cause of this mysterious transformation the villagers are going through. Such poor things. Always transforming at random into terrible monsters, even having to resort to killing one of their own for safety. The original request was to destroy the moon, but that seemed too farfetched, even for Fairy Tail wizards. But if they were not going to destroy the moon, then they would at least help return these villagers to normal. After all, Fairy Tail wizards never fail a job, especially S-class jobs!

"This place is creepy…" Lucy complained. Rightfully so, considering the creepy crawlies out and about late in the night. The trees and canopy casted menacing shadows, almost as if it wanted to keep intruders away from this land of nature. The occasional brush from a falling leaf or odd branch would send Lucy jumping with fright. To which, Natsu's response was to laugh at her mockingly. And then get beaten by Lucy of course. Gray was nonplussed by the shenanigans of the two mages, though he wasn't without his own brand of ridiculousness as he was both shirtless and missing pants.

"You might wanna look for your clothes stripper." Natsu commented offhandedly.

Gray was about to retort before he felt the contact of wind on his bare skin. Looking down at himself he realized why. He sported a faint blush before backtracking to collect his missing attire.

"What are we even looking for in this god forsaken island again?" Lucy was really starting to regret coming along to this trip. It was only for the Golden Gate key and the villager's plight that she persisted. Not even the money would've made her stay longer on this island of disaster. Even now, she was doubting if the key was even worth it in the first place. Not to mention the possibility of facing Erza's and the Master's fury since this was an S class mission that Natsu stole and convinced her to go along with. If that wasn't bad enough, she was his partner-in-crime for knocking out Gray and dumping him onto a boat and forcing him to go with us. At this point she just hoped that they had leniency towards beginners. She had no desire to see herself get kicked out of the guild when she just recently joined.

"We're trying to find a temple Luce. It's a building that people go to pray to and worship stuff. Don't you know simple things like that?" Happy taunted the blonde.

"I'll beat you cat!" threatened Lucy, a vein already forming on the side of _her_ temple.

"Eeep!" Happy took shelter behind Natsu's head. "Lushy looks scary when she's angry Natsu."

"Ah don't worry Happy, Lucy always looks scary." Natsu looked back to the cat with a grin on his face.

"I'll kill you!" Her hand inched toward the whip on the side of her hip.

"Hey is that it?" Happy pointed a paw in the general direction towards a huge building.

"Should be, good job Happy! Let's go!" Natsu ran off with Happy in tow.

"Hey! Don't go rushing off damn it!" Gray chased after the two.

"Don't ignore me!" Lucy started running to the two.

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"This looks freaky." Natsu commented as he poked and prodded at the dusty ancient columns of the temple.

Lucy couldn't help but bring her palm to her face. "Stop touching things Natsu you might break something. If it's expensive, it's coming out of your pay check."

"Ah don't worry this place is fine and sturdy. It's been here for so long already, what's a few more knocks here and there. If you ask me, if it breaks now then that's just crappy quality." Natsu walked to the centre of the floor. "Here lemme prove it to ya." He stomped on the floor to try and show its sturdiness and structural integrity. Keyword: _Tried_.

The entire floor collapsed, bringing Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Happy down into a gigantic underground cavern.

Natsu came to his senses first. He looked around to see the cave lit up with an eerie blue light. It was a huge cavern that was for sure. "Woah, what is this place?"

"Ah!" Lucy shrieked as she noticed a demonic figure half encased in ice. "What the hell is that?!"

Both Natsu and Gray's heads turned towards the direction she pointed.

Gray's expression changed almost instantly. From irritation at Natsu, to confusion at the demon, to recognition once he got a better look, then to absolute shock. He backed away slowly, muttering to himself. "No… That can't be… No, no… It died with her… This has to be a joke."

Natsu and Lucy were both worried for their comrade. Lucy decided to voice her concerns first. "Gray what's wrong? What is that thing?"

The question seems to snap Gray back to his senses. He sharpened his gaze and answered in a grim tone. "Deliora." Gray looked up at the demon of destruction. "That is Deliora."

"Deliora? What's Deliora?" asked Lucy.

Gray was about to answer, but the group heard another group coming towards them, talking loudly. He grabbed Natsu and Lucy by their collars and pulled them downwards towards a large rock, hiding behind it with the two with baited breath. The group wanted to peek out and see who they would be dealing with, but they did not want to get caught. After all, they could possibly gain some important information about this uncanny island and monstrous demon covered in pure blue ice.

"There are intruders on this island what should we do?" A voice asked a man. Gray and Natsu took a peek out of the corner of the boulder they hid behind. The group consisted of a trio.

"Never mind them, we have much more important things to worry about. Just prepare to defend the **Moon Drip** if they do attack. We are close to reviving Deliora." The other man added in his opinion"We still have Zalty as well" He gestured. "He's strong on his own, so he will help defend the **Moon Drip**. I doubt many can defeat him."

"Whatever you say then, I just hope Reitei knows what he's doing." Commented the dog looking man. The group unsuspectingly passed the boulder that Natsu's group were hiding behind. They relaxed and got out of their hiding place slowly. They got information but now they had even more questions. What the heck was a **Moon Drip**? And why was Deliora so important?

Gray himself was having a mini panic attack. 'Why does he know Deliora? Why does he want him to be released? And is he talking about destroying the spell Ur gave up her life to use?' His bangs shadowed his eyes and his fists clenched. Veins started to get more noticeable on his forearms. A slight trembling of his fists were noticed.

"Yo Popsicle, whats that Demi Laura thing?" Natsu's voice cut through the tension that Gray was feeling, bringing him back to the material world and out of his thoughts. He was thankful for that. He took a deep breath and focused his mind. None of those questions really mattered now, only stopping the group that wants to revive Deliora mattered at this moment.

"That thing is called Deliora Natsu. It's a demon of Zeref that caused destruction and damage everywhere it went. It just so happened to visit my village in the Northern Continent one day. My teacher at the time, Ur Milkovich, gave up her life to seal it away using a spell, it can't be killed. How it got here, I have no idea… But if that Reitei guy wants to revive it, I sure as hell am gonna beat the living shit out of him. We have to stop them no matter what, Deliora can never be released into the world again." He sat back down. "I propose that we should stay here until night, since everything going on around here is related to the moon."

"Fine, we'll wait." Natsu settled down as well. Lucy followed suite.

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Natsu started snoring after a while, with his excuse being that he should regain all his energy if there is a possible fight ahead.

"Oh I know! For some entertainment, how about I bring out Lyra to play a song?" Lucy whipped out her key and summoned the musical spirit. The spirit popped out with her harp in tow and a bright smile that made everyone's mood lift.

"Yay! I'm out! I'll be sure to play the best song I can!" an excited glint appeared in her eyes, but it slightly got dampened after seeing Lucy. "Aw Ms. Lucy why don't you summon me more often?"

Lucy felt some sweat forming at the side of her head. She didn't want to hurt the poor spirit's feeling, but the opportunity for her to come out did not come by often. "Sorry Lyra, I'll try to summon you more often, 'kay?"

"Alright Ms. Lucy, what should I do?"

"Play us a song"

"Right away!"

Lyra started to pluck the strings of the harp elegantly. The music reverberated through the caverns they were in. But she didn't just pluck at the strings of the harp. She also seemed to have plucked at Gray's heart strings if the tear rolling down his cheek was any indication. He remembered his time training with his teacher Ur. Her stripping shenanigans, motherly attitude towards him and Lyon, and her stubborn attitude towards seeing her students get better. Many memories of her assaulted his head, breaking through the barriers he put in his mind so he wouldn't get emotional. A sharp pain stabbed at his eyes as they began to water. His heart cried out. He wanted to keep the memories coming, but he had to stay strong. It was time to stop the music.

"I think you should stop the music Lyra. No offense but we might get found out." Gray hoped that the trembling in his voice wasn't picked up by his teammates. And if they were, then he was thankful they didn't confront him on it.

"Alright Mr. Gray, I'll stop." She stopped her melody and put away the harp. Just as that happened, the group noticed that a ray of light suddenly falls upon the encased demon.

They rushed to the top of the ruins. They hid away once more, noticing a ritual taking place. Lyra explains the ritual to the group as she recognized it. "The ritual is called the **Moon Drip** , it harnesses the power of the moon in order to dispel any spell, even the **Iced Spell** , such a big **Moon Drip** ritual might just be what caused the curse of this island."

Lucy wanted to ask a little more but she didn't get the chance to as they see a masked man.

"So Reitei, what should we do now? There are intruders on this island." The same dog looking man asked.

The now revealed to be Reitei answered back, "Intruders? Hmm… Very well. Destroy the village. They might be hiding away there."

Natsu and Lucy were both shocked at this. They were deciding about what they wanted to do. Natsu wanted to fight the guy there and then. Lucy wanted to keep listening a little while longer to learn more.

Gray was on a completely different thought process. He recognized that voice and who that is. And it sent a shiver down his spine, as well as rage building within him.

Natsu decided he had enough of them. They were talking about destroying an entire village of innocent people just to flush them out? Screw that! He was fired up, and he was determined to give them a Fairy Tail beating of a life time.

He jumped out from his hiding spot and challenged the masked man's subordinates. "Hey what the hell was that about destroying a village? If you think I'm just gonna let that slide, you're dead wrong!"

Reitei's subordinates recovered from their shock before addressing the dragon slayer. "Who the hell are you? You must be one of the intruders…" asked Toby.

Natsu grinned and lit his hands on fire. "The name's Natsu, also known as Salamander. I'm from Fairy Tail and I'm gonna kick all of your asses for messing with these innocent people! I'm all fired up!" He showed his guild tattoo on his right bicep.

"Don't bother with him, just continue with what you're doing." Reitei commanded. He tried to keep an air of cool and calmness, but that shattered when he had to dodge an ice shard that would have blindsided him.

Another ice shard came at him but he countered it with his own ice pillar, destroying it. Gray stepped out, his magic ready to be formed at his fingertips. "I know you… I know that voice. You're Lyon aren't you?"

"A little late to be clever isn't it Gray?" Reitei replied before taking off his mask, revealing himself to be Lyon Vastia.

Gray winced slightly at his words, knowing exactly what it was too late for. He noticed the group of followers were taking their leave, he shouted after them but was beaten to the punch by the fiery teammate that dragged him onto this island.

"Where the hell do ya think you're goin'?!" Natsu leapt after them with his fists alight and smoke coming through his nostrils. He didn't make it very far though as he was suddenly frozen in place by Lyon's Magic.

"Damn, looks like we gotta get them Happy! Let's go!" Lucy ran off, chasing the followers with Happy in tow, flying behind her. "Aye Sir!"

Natsu still had fighting spirit though, even after being unable to move his arms he still tried to get up and fight Lyon. He barely got to his feet before he was kicked off the temple's edge by Gray.

'Thanks Natsu, but this is a fight I gotta settle on my own. It's personal now…' thought the ice mage as he watched the angry dragon slayer tumble down the hill with his ball of ice, shouting profanities upwards at Gray.

"Doesn't seem very smart of you to kick away an ally that could help you defeat me. You have no chance of beating me by yourself."

"Shut it you… I'm the one who should be asking questions. First off, why the hell are you trying to revive Deliora! Don't you care at all that Ur gave her _life_ to seal that monster away! What type of disloyal student are you!" Gray's speech turned to shouting by the end, disgusted that the only other student Ur had, who gave her life to save all of them, was now trying to mock her sacrifice by bringing back the very thing that caused her end."

Lyon just chuckled slightly at this. "Do you even think you have the right to say anything about her sacrifice and my loyalty? After all, just because you couldn't listen to what she said and had to foolishly charge in, she had to kill herself to save you. You're responsible for her death in the first place, so what right do you have to blame me for anything?" He started forming ice around himself. Gray responded in kind

 **SS,MB**

Natsu in his encasement of ice slowly got up from the base of the temple in the forest, and decided to make way to the village to save them. The only problem lay in the fact that he had absolutely zero ideas as to where he was and where the village is. 'Alright, think Natsu… Where would the village be? I can't smell anyone nearby, and I can't see anything in this dense forestry… No sounds either… Damn it, curse that Gray. He could have at least kicked me off at a better location. That stupid temple was quite high up too… That's it!' An idea struck Natsu. 'If I can't find the village by looking from here, maybe I'll just have to look for it from high up!'

With the thought in mind, Natsu began his slow climb back up to the temple's top, muttering off curses and swears along the way. Mostly directed at Gray.

 **SS,MB**

In another part of Galuna Island, Erza and Ichigo stepped off a pirate ship. Erza walked down with grace and poise, like a trained warrior should. Ichigo on the other hand was stretching and popping his joints, throwing in a yawn as well. The man needed his sleep after all. But a pirate ship on a choppy sea was no king sized bed.

"Damn, *pop* that was a rough nap… I wonder *crack* why the sea suddenly turned violent as we neared…" Ichigo commented offhandedly.

"Indeed it was strange that the sea would suddenly become so rough, but that is not what we should be focused on. For such a strong and trained warrior, you seem to be too relaxed. Such posture and actions do not befit one of such high strength." Erza replied. It rubbed her the wrong way that someone so strong was so relaxed and unfocused. She put considerable effort into making herself seem to be disciplined and orderly, as was expected of someone of her calibre and to set a good example. But here comes someone so nonchalant and carefree that she honestly wondered where that strength came from.

"Well you can't be so strict and disciplined all the time you know? Gotta relax and enjoy life. A lot of people that are relaxed and nonchalant have been the strongest people I know." He thought back about Shunsui, Ukitake, Zaraki to an extent, Urahara, Askin and the list goes on. "You should let loose and calm down about this whole thing. I'm sure we'll find them safe and sound. I'll see to it personally."

"Thank you for helping my friends and I. But if I may, could I request something of you?" Erza stared directly at him, unrelenting in her poker face. It was impossible to tell what she wanted. Ichigo frowned.

"You welcome, but for that request, tell me what it is first and I'll consider. Don't go around expecting me to put my neck on the line for everything." He scowled, remembering how many times he accepted a request blindly before something always managed to screw up along the way. He would still do it if it meant saving someone but nothing's wrong with putting up a crude front to get some more information.

Erza took a deep breath, and prepared herself. She was hesitant to ask but she had to. "I want to have a fight with you after this whole thing blows over. I wish to compare myself to what a true master swordsman is."

Ichigo choked on his spit. He could hear his hollow laughing in his head. The irony of the situation clearly did not favour him…

"Ah well you see Erza, the guild tattoo is a form of limiter, so I am the strength of what you people would call an S-Class mage. And I'm not allowed to use my swords… Only my bow and arrow."

Erza took the news in stride, albeit with slight shock and confusion. He did not look like he had a bow and arrow. "Our strength levels should be roughly equivalent then. That would be good to display whose technique is the superior. As for your swords, why are you not allowed to use them? And I do not see a bow on you, neither do I see arrows. Did you come to this island ill-prepared?" questioned Erza.

Ichigo was at a loss. What should he say to her? Ah well, he can wing it right? "You see, my… teacher… banned me from using my swords until I master the bow and arrow, so that I could be a more balanced fighter. The bow and arrow are special, as the bow is summoned from the pendant," he held up his right wrist, "and the arrows are created by myself out of, um… magic in the air." He found that his explanations would make sense if he just replaced the word Reiatsu with Magic.

The explanation astonished Erza. 'How many types of magic does he wield? And is one of them **Requip** …? I definitely have to test myself against him now.' She cleared her throat and replied after she realized that Ichigo was staring at her while she was lost in thought. "It is most unfortunate that I am unable to fight you at your best, but I am willing to settle for your bow and arrow. Though do not expect me to be fighting you at any less than my best. You are still strong enough."

"Sure, I'd be disappointed if you showed mercy. Let's set out and find them in this island shall we? I think it would be best if we split up. I'll get whoever I can and meet you in the village."

Erza nodded and they split off.

 **SS,MB**

Gray and Lyon had a brief stare

down before they both launched into a flurry of ice attacks.

 **Ice-make: Hammer!** Gray swung the titanic hammer of ice at Lyon, who dodged the hammer and struck back with his own spell. **Ice-make: Eagle.**

Gray had a tough time avoiding all of them. He ducked, ran and rolled. He escaped the aviary onslaught with just a few scratches. 'Damn… His dynamic style is making his spells much faster… I can't trade spell for spell. Let's switch things up a little.' He casted a quick **Ice-make: Lance** before following it through by dashing at Lyon with an **Ice-make: Sword**.

Though it seems that Lyon had the same idea. They clashed swords, locked in a test of strength. Gray took this opportunity to tell his opponent off. "Why the hell are you disgracing her teachings and using only one hand?! Did her teaching mean that little to you that you can't even be bothered to use both your hands?"

Lyon was outraged as this. "You are one to talk Gray. You still follow her slow and cumbersome two handed method. You can never win me with that slow technique. You're nothing but a disgraceful imitation to what Ur was." To prove his point he let go of one of his hands from his blade and formed a spell. Gray noticed this too late though. " **Ice-make: Puffer Fish** "

The chunk of ice smashed into his side and sent Gray flying onto the ground. Lyon continued his speech. "My dream was to surpass that woman. To surpass Ur. That's all I lived for… but you ruined that dream. You were the one that ran out to confront Deliora, you were the one Ur had to save for some god forsaken reason, you were the one that got her killed. And it's absolutely all your fault she's gone! So to surpass her, I'll just have to defeat what she couldn't. I'm going to kill Deliora. This time, you won't mess everything up. I doubt you will have the chance to."

Gray's world started to close in on itself with guilt. He was right… he got Ur killed. He was foolish… But damn it, he couldn't let him release Deliora and disrespect the sacrifice that Ur made. He would not allow it. He pushed himself up onto his feet, breathing hard and swaying from side to side.

"You look pathetic Gray. What do you think you can do against me? You've lost your will to fight, because deep down inside you know that what I said is true. You feel guilty don't you? Well then, let me be the one to put you out of that misery." Lyon charged up a spell, and it looked like a big one.

'No… I can't let my teammates down… I can't let the villagers down… I can't…' Gray saw the building spell and decided to try and shield himself as a last ditch effort.

 **Ice-make: Shield!**

 **Ice-make: Snow Dragon!**

Seeing the dragon approach, Gray frowned. 'Sorry guys… Sorry I let you down…' The dragon of ice barrelled straight through his weakened shield and crushed Gray.

As Gray lay beaten on the ground, with his eye-lids getting heavy, he saw Lyon leave and he saw a pink haired dragon slayer covered in ice appear at the top of the temple, heading towards him.

"Gray!"

He was just about to go unconscious too… He felt himself being picked up and placed on Natsu. He was running now it seems.

"Hey I thought you could handle that guy Popsicle! What the hell happened?"

"Sorry Natsu… I failed… I should never have stopped you from proceeding with the S-Class request. Who am I to do that when I myself ignored my teacher and went straight for Deliora? It's the same thing… I'm a hypocrite." Tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Shut the hell up Ice princess! That's just your insecurities talkin'! You hear me?! You lost and you're feeling down that's all! You're a Fairy Tail mage! I don't know a lot about what happened but who gives a shit about what happened in the past! We Fairy Tail mages never give up! And we always get back up! So don't let these kinds of stupid things affect you, ya hear?! Be a Fairy Tail mage and push on damn it!" Natsu shouted out loud for the universe to hear. Pride and Joy both evident in his voice about being a Fairy Tail mage, a leading example. A shining torch in the darkness. A bolster to low morale. Just what he needed.

Gray sniffled, before relenting to his partner's ideals. "Yeah… Yeah you're right! I'm a Fairy Tail mage damn it! A… Fairy Tail… Mage…" It seems as though his earlier injuries took its toll on the wizard as he finally delved into the realm of unconsciousness.

* * *

 **[A/N] Ah another update! How was the holidays?**

 **That aside, we finally see that Erza and Ichigo made it onto the island, Gray fought with Lyon and**

 **Lucy's chasing the evil-doers. It's gonna make for a fun next chapter to write I can guarantee that. I personally don't exactly like the Galuna Island Arc to be honest, but I feel like it's something necessary to show the camaraderie and integrity of Natsu's team. It also features Ultear, which plays a role in my story.**

 **Onto review replies ~**

 **To Lawrence Helmbain: I plan to!**

 **To Damaio The End: Thanks a lot! Welcome aboard the ride.**

 **To Goost: Aha I don't really see Ur being alive unless Orihime is brought into the equation, but I have thought of ways to keep her alive. Who knows? She may or may not be a character I bring to life in this story. Still trying to work Gin into the story though.**

 **To Daizuke: Don't worry, the ChadxMira is just a thought that I don't plan to put into action any time soon. I like the Mira and Ichigo pairing just as much as you do. Thanks for supporting my decisions!**

 **To bladetri: Arigato!**

 **To zrocker119: Thanks, and I most likely will. I can tell I won't hear any complaints about it if your profile picture is any indication. Jokes aside, this chapter has considerably less location switches, so it would be more palatable for you I assume?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Schrödinger's Teacher.**

 **-SS,MB-**

Lucy was out of breath when she finally reached the village. The long way was littered with unsuspecting roots, creepy crawlies, and displaced tree branches. She caught her breath after heaving heavily while bent, before preparing a key in her hand. She once again ran to the centre in order to warn the villagers faster.

"Everyone, the village is about to be attacked by the enemy! Take cover and hide!" She shouted. The villagers caused chaos. Everyone was in a panic and they ran everywhere to try and get possible cover. Women picked up the children nearby and ran into their huts for safety, and the men followed suit. Since she was here early, Lucy decided to set a trap for the enemy. " **Gate of the Maiden: Open!** "

A white flash slightly blinded her before she saw Virgo appear. "Princess is it time for punishment?" the masochistic spirit asked.

"No Virgo, but I need you to dig a hole there." Lucy pointed to a patch of land. "I'm creating a pitfall as a trap"

"Will do princess." Virgo got to work. She dug the hole in record time. And there lay a perfectly circular hole which just needed to be covered with some sticks and leaves in classic Looney Tunes style. She marvelled at her own work before she heard rustling from the nearby flora. She prepares a key just in case, pulling out Taurus's key.

Out of a bush popped out an ice-encased pink-haired Dragonslayer with Gray on his shoulders. He leapt out and noticed the village, and then Lucy, and then Lucy's horrified face, and then his foot going through the sticks and leaves. The rest of his body, and Gray, soon fell through as well.

He got up dazed and confused. 'How did the floor suddenly disappear?' He rubbed his forehead, which took most of the fall damage. He then realized he could move his arms again. 'Wait I can move my arms freely now!' He looked to the side to see two halves of the ice broken apart. 'Wooh, no shitty ice is gonna keep me from moving! I'm too strong!' after a little bit of thinking he also realized something else. 'Oh shit! Gray!' he saw that Gray was still out cold, pun intended. He carried Gray on his shoulder and made his way out of the hole.

Lucy saw Natsu crawl out of the hole looking relatively uninjured. Then she looked at Gray on his shoulder and she was shocked. 'What happened to him? I thought he was fine with fighting that Reitei guy…' She then heard something soaring through the air. She looked up, and didn't know whether she should feel shock, disgust, fear, or disappointment. She saw a giant flying rat- the same one they beat earlier- being rode by their opponents carrying a bucket of green goo. She saw the rat dump the bucket downwards, its contents flowed out and started falling down to the village below. She didn't know what that liquid was, but she knew it was bad news. Natsu grabbed her and ran towards the centre, shouting along the way. "Get to the centre! Get to the centre!"

The villagers rushed and huddled at the centre, fearful of what would happen to them. Natsu had no intention of letting anyone get hurt on his watch. He took a deep breath and positioned his legs. " **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!** "

He launched his fireball skyward, timing it so that once it made contact with the gelatinous substance of doom it would explode. And it did just that. The fireball dispersed the goo so that it would fly towards the edges of the village, keeping everyone in the middle safe. The villagers watched with saddened eyes and huddled positions as their village slowly disintegrated. "Alright, evacuate the village!" Natsu and Lucy ushered the villagers out to safety.

They saw the rat descend, its riders preparing for a fight. Two of them jumped off but the third remained and started giving chase to the villagers on the rats back. Lucy came up with an idea to slow their approach to allow the villagers ample time to get away. She jumped up and caught onto the rat and started tickling it. The sounds of a laughing androgynous giant-rat wearing a maid outfit would forever be stuck in her mind. The rat laughed enough to crash to the side, downing both the rider and Lucy. Happy sped off to try and assist Lucy, leaving Natsu alone to fight the two.

"Toby, stay out of this fight. That's the Salamander. I'll definitely win against him, and I'll prove my strength."

"No problem" Toby, the dog guy, took a relaxed position as he watched his friend saunter up to square off against the pyromaniac.

"Salamander, you should give up now. There is no way to beat me." Taunted the bushy eye-browed man.

"Eh, that's bullshit. I'm all fired up and there's no way you can stop me!" Natsu slammed his fist into his open palm, signalling the start to their fight. Natsu was the first to take action. " **Fire Dragon's Roar** " He launched his roar at Yuka, who didn't bother moving with a smirk on his face. " **Wave** "

The fiery attack was nullified as it met the aptly named blue wave. Natsu was confused by this, no way was his magic stronger right? He tried again to attack. " **Fire Dragon's Claw** " He launched a flaming kick at the guy, who still hasn't moved from his position yet. Once again his magic was nullified as another wave was sent out, blasting Natsu back as well. 'Damn it, what the hell is up with his magic?' He tried once more to attack, this time using a combo. " **Fire Dragon's Claw** " He leapt and kicked, expecting it to be nullified, which it did, before he sent out a roar. " **Fire Dragon Roar** " expecting that to be nullified as well, he used it to disguise his next attack. " **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!** "

The smoke cleared and Natsu once again found himself in a stupor as his opponent was untouched behind a wall of blue magic.

"You can't harm me with magic Salamander! My magic nullifies all others." He boasted behind his protective shield. He sent out wave after wave of attacks which Natsu had to dodge by manoeuvring his body in ways that would make a gymnast jealous.

'I really have to think of a way to beat this guy… His stupid smirk and lanky body… acting all high and mighty behind his shield when all it would take is a punch to knock him out… Wait, that's it!'

He stopped dodging the attacks and ran straight at the man. " **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** " He leapt up and descending, giving him some extra oomph to the punch.

"I thought I told you it wouldn't work Salamander, you have no hope." He just waited behind his shield with an air of confidence.

The punch slammed straight into the shield of magic and as expected, got nullified. But Natsu's fist was still there.

"You think you're so powerful don't cha?" Natsu pressed against the shield harder. "Only your magic nullifies things, not the area around it. You're gonna go down!" Natsu used his magic to ignite his elbow, using itt as a thruster. He broke through the shield with ease and the fist barrelled straight into Yuka's cheek, knocking him out cold.

He grinned happily as he saw the downed form of his opponent before turning towards his accomplice.

"You may have beaten Yuka, but you are certainly not gonna beat me! I have an amazing power! I'm much stronger than Yuka. What is it you ask? Let me introduce you to my **Paralysis Claw: Mega Jellyfish** " He elongated his claws, making them wicked sharp. He took at a lunge at Natsu, which Natsu avoided. "They shock and paralyze anything on contact! Making me much stronger than Yuka." He swiped and swiped, and Natsu dodged and dodged. Natsu was frustrated, why did these people have to make life so hard… Why couldn't they just be normal mages? He had an idea, but no way would he be that dumb right? Well… it's worth a shot. "Hey, you got something on your forehead, I think it's a fly." Natsu told Toby.

Miraculously Toby believed him and accidentally stabbed his own forehead with his claws. He shocked and paralyzed himself. Natsu couldn't believe it.

With both his opponents down and out, he made his way to back to the temple.

 **-SS,MB-**

Lucy crash landed. Hard. She got up slowly, stretching her legs and arms to get rid of the sore feeling. From the nearby shrubbery popped out Sherry, ready to battle. She looked pissed.

"It's all because of you I failed! Now Lyon will never love me! I failed him… All thanks to you!" she seethed. Lucy prepared herself for the inevitable attack. " **Doll Attack: Wood Doll!** " A nearby tree sprung to life, uprooting itself and rearing back a branch. It swung at Lucy, she herself barely managing to dodge.

Lucy countered with her own attack. " **Gate of the Golden Bull: Open!** " The burly Minotaur popped out with his battle-axe ready. "Moo! You summoned me Master Lucy?"

"Yeah, I need you to defeat her" Lucy pointed at Sherry.

"Anything for you Master Lucy and your beautiful body!" Taurus launched into action, ready to swing his axe.

"Not so fast, **Doll Attack: Puppeteer!** " Sherry started to control Taurus. He turned around and swung his axe downward at Lucy.

"Eep!" Lucy yelped before she ducked away. " **Forced Gate Closure!** " She forcefully closed the gate that linked the celestial world and theirs, making Taurus disappear.

Sherry was surprised at this, no mere mage could just force a gate closure that easily. She'd have to take things a little seriously now.

Lucy decided to have a little fun. She summoned Plue. " **Gate of the Canis Minor: Open** "

"Why would you summon more spirits, I'm just gonna control it. **Doll Attack: Puppeteer"** She took control of the smaller spirit and made it attack Lucy. She was baffled when she saw that Plue's fists were literally bouncing off Lucy's knees. The look on its face was utter sadness as it attacked its Master.

"Ahahaha!" Lucy laughed her ass off at Sherry attempts to harm her using her own spirit.

"That's it! For my love, I will end you quickly. Maybe he will finally love me if I bring you as a trophy!" the ground beneath her started to rumble slightly. " **Doll Attack: Rock Doll!** " From the ground sprouted out a giant of rock, with Sherry inside the crown of his head. Lucy paled. Well at least she had one spirit that hatd her regardless of who controls her. She just hoped it would work. " **Gate of the Water Bearer: Open** "

Aquarius, in all her stunning fish-like beauty, appeared before the both of them. "What do you want? I'm busy." Huffed the celestial spirit.

"I need you to attack her" she pointed at Sherry. "Eh, who said you could command me huh?" sneered the grumpy celestial spirit. "Please?" Lucy pleaded.

"Tch… Fine, but after this close my gate. I have a date to prepare for. A date" she rubbed in the fact that she was on a date to Lucy.

"Don't rub it in!" Lucy cried.

Sherry grew tired of watching the two argue. " **Doll Attack: Puppeteer** "

"Now you think you can command me?" Aquarius was royally pissed now. She swung her water pot catching Sherry and Lucy in a tidal wave.

Lucy was dizzy, and so was Sherry. Without a proper connection, Sherry's control over her doll was lost. Seeing her opportunity, Lucy engaged in a melee with the Doll master. Lucy struck out first with a punch to her face. Sherry swung back. It was quite a catfight. Lucy pulled her opponent's hair and scratched her face, Sherry doing the same. Lucy got fed up and decided to try to end it quick. She swung upwards, delivering a strong uppercut to Sherry's jaw, knocking her flat on the ground.

As Sherry began to lose consciousness, she gave a last ditch effort. "Angelica, flatten her!" then she blacked out.

The rat followed its master's order and tried to attack the powerless Lucy. It was about to succeed before it was slashed by a sword and fell. Erza stepped next to Lucy.

"Oh Erza thank god! You really saved me, I don't know what I wou- wait… Erza? Oh no…" Lucy started to fall into despair as she realized that Erza didn't come to provide backup. Oh no, she came to capture them… Damn it. She almost started crying when she saw the piercing glare Erza gave her.

"Lushy! I'm coming! Where are you?!" Both of them turned their heads to see a ball of fur flying at them. "Oh there you are Lushy! I came to help! Oh and hi Erza!" Happy stopped mid-flight as he processed what he just said. "Uh oh… Natsu! Erza's here to kill us! Run!" Happy tried to fly the opposite direction but found himself unable to as Erza grabbed him from behind, still having that wicked gleam in her eyes.

 **-SS,MB-**

Gray woke up to unfamiliar surroundings. He was confused. Where was he? What happened? Then the memories came rushing back to him. Confronting Lyon. Talking about Ur. Losing. Then Natsu came. 'Natsu! Where's Natsu?! Did he fight Lyon?' He stood up slowly, not wanting to aggravate injuries. He stumbled out the hut and was greeted by a local.

"Ah you're awake. Your friend told me that you need to see her in that tent."

"Alright, thank you." He made his way to the tent. 'I wonder why Lucy has to see me.'

He opened up the flap and froze. He saw Lucy bound and gagged, along with Happy. Happy had a stream of tears going down his face. And then he saw Erza. 'Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit'

"I have been brought up to speed by Lucy. She explained everything to me." Erza broke the silence. "We found the village thanks to Happy."

Gray noticed that Natsu wasn't caught, tied and gagged. "Where's Natsu?" Gray questioned, still trying to sound firm in front of Erza.

Erza, of course, saw right through him and his display of fake bravado. She was in no mood to be playing games. "Isn't that the question we would all like to know the answer to?" She glared at Gray, disappointed that he would break the rules in this manner.

"I'm going to find Natsu, then we're off this island. You will all be brought back to the guild and face your punishment." She commanded. Lucy and Happy were still struggling against the bonds.

Gray's eyes widened. "You can't be serious!" he shouted in disbelief. If Erza was brought up to speed by Lucy, then she should know what the villagers are going through and what lays in the temple.

"If we don't help those villagers, more and more of them will turn and subsequently die! Not to mention the fact that one of Zeref's demons, Deliora is about to be set free on his island!"

Erza remained quiet, letting Gray's anger fester and bubble.

"You gotta be kidding me Erza! You just wanna abandon some helple-" Gray was cut off when Erza pointed one of her swords against his chest, with the promise of pain.

She responded in a low tone, signifying her unwavering dedication to bringing the group back. "I don't care what those villagers are going through or what demon is in that temple. I am here to bring all of you back so that you may both keep your lives and serve your punishment. We can worry about the villagers when an actual S-class mage takes the mission. Now, I will bring Natsu back by force if I have to and we will leave, understo-"

"Cut the bullshit!"

Erza was at a loss for words. Never has Gray quite so outspokenly interrupted her with such anger.

"Cut the bullshit. You are seriously going to leave these helpless and innocent villagers to succumb to their fates? You're just going to let them suffer? Screw that! I'm a damn Fairy Tail mage. I'm going to finish this damn job even if it kills me. There's more at stake here than you can even imagine. And I never thought you would be one to leave defenceless people to their own. Fairy Tail mages always finish the job they go on, I'm not going to be an exception. So if you really wanna bring me back, you're going to have to bring back a dead body, because either you stab me or I complete this mission." Gray gripped the sword at his chest and aligned it to his heart.

Erza remained emotionless and unwavering before she sighed and let down her sword. When he put it that way, she just had to help. Punishment can come later. "I will assist you in completing this mission, but afterwards you will come with me and face your punishment."

Gray grinned. "Glad to have you on board."

 **-SS,MB-**

Natsu sped through the forest, eager to get to the temple. He fell asleep in the forest last night after he beat the two idiots and decided to go back. He was getting closer, he could smell it. 'That's strange… I think I smell a little bit of that Ichido guy. But how could he be on this island?' Natsu abruptly stopped when he saw a blue projectile soaring towards him from his left. He tried to dodge but the arrow still managed to go through his vest at the shoulder area and pin him to a nearby tree.

Another arrow followed that one, this time sticking his left leg to the tree by his pants. He saw a guy with a white coat and orange hair step out from the trees with a big bow in his left hand, already nocked with an arrow in his right, slowly walk towards him.

"Oh, you're Natsu aren't you?" Ichigo asked. "Where's the rest of your group?"

Natsu was beyond confused. Why was he here? Why was he pinned to the tree? Why is he in white now? What is that bow? He decided to take it slowly and ask him the first question. "Why are you here?"

"I came here with Erza. Apparently we need to hunt you guys down and gather you up."

The colour from Natsu's face drained when he heard that not only was Erza here, she was looking for them _and_ she got one of the strongest guys from the new guild to help her… That was just unfair.

"Why does she want us gathered up?" Natsu asked, praying for the best.

"To bring you guys back for punishment, duh. What else?" Natsu's prayers were promptly struck down.

"But you can't bring us back! That whole village is suffering, and there is a huge demon that's about to be unsealed in the temple! We have to help them!" Natsu pleaded.

This intrigued Ichigo. 'Suffering villagers huh? And a demon?'

' **This should be fun partner, I hope the demon's strong!** ' Zangetsu spoke to him cheerily.

'That's nothing to be happy about you damn idiot!' Ichigo mentally shouted.

' **Aw c'mon King, it'll be fun I promise. It'll be just like fighting that Kenpachi guy! Ah good old days.** '

'Fuck that! Fighting Kenpachi was no fun whatsoever! And you won't even be having fun you imbecile! I'm using Ossan's bow only remember?!'

' **Oh yeah… Damn… Well from now on as your Zanpaktou, I demand that you use me as well. And since when could a dumbass like you use the word 'imbecile' correctly? Colour me surprised.** '

'Kiss my ass… You can go take it up with the old man if you want me to use you, I am not gonna be caught in a war of attrition between the two of you.'

' **Tsk, fine. But after you stop using that Quincy shit, I expect you to use me damn it!** '

'I'll use you alright, now stop complaining.'

He stopped his conversation and came back to his senses only to realize that Natsu was gone. All that was left were ripped pieces of clothes from where he was pinned.

A vein started to throb on the side of Ichigo's forehead. 'That little punk…'

 **-SS,MB-**

'Ah damn, that was close… Why is he working with Erza? As if she wasn't scared enough, now she has the carrot top with her. Damn, looks like I have to do this fast.' Natsu caught his breath and took a stance, preparing himself. " **Fire Dragon's Roar** "

Natsu's fiery breath attack had the concussive force that sliced through the columns of the old temple ruins like a hot knife through butter. Since Natsu wrecked the columns at the base, the whole temple began to tilt to the side, ensuring that the **Moon Drip** is no longer on the demon. A hole appeared at the top, revealing Lyon and his cold stare to Natsu.

'He thinks he's so good, looks like I have to put him in his place.' Natsu lit his limbs on fire, and blasted upwards. He twirled in the air and aimed his cranium straight at Lyon's gut. He felt his head connect. 'Damn that hurt, what the hell is his body made of?' Natsu flew through, shattering the Lyon into tiny ice shards.

"Oh crap! I didn't mean to destroy you! Ah damn it… Erza is going to kill me, where's the glue? Where's the glue?!" Natsu panicked, starting to pick up shattered ice pieces and packing them together into a small mound.

Behind Natsu's panicky form, Lyon brought his right palm to his face. "You didn't destroy me you dolt. I'm right here. Like as if anything that weak would do anything to me."

Natsu turned in surprise, hands already blazing. "What the hell was that you snowman?!"

"You heard me Salamander, you can't beat me." Taunted Lyon, he readied a magic circle on his hand.

"That's it! Both of you ice freaks annoy me to hell! I'm gonna beat the hell outta ya. Let's go, **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist**." Natsu leapt into the air and started barreling at Lyon with his fist on fire.

" **Ice-Make: Eagle!** " Lyon pointed his palm at the airborne Natsu, and fired away with his frosty creations. Natsu's eyes widened before he came up with a plan to dodge them. He point both his hands upwards, before blasting fire out of it to propel himself downward to dodge the eagles. The eagles were still hot on his trail though, so Natsu used the same technique with his legs, melting away the eagles before they could reach him. With his legs already spewing fire, he got into a handstand and spun himself multiple times, sending tides of fire all around the room. He spun back unto his feet and breathed in deeply.

" **Fire Dragon's Ro-** "Natsu was about to expel a roar but he was stopped when he found his faced being hammered by someone's leg. As his jaw was about to get restructured and he would be sent flying, he looked sideways with his eyes and saw orange hair. 'Oh great...'

Natsu was launched across the room by the powerful kick, so much so that he was imbedded into the wall.

"Hey what's the big idea Itsudo?! I'm not the bad guy!" Natsu yelled at his "teammate", still peeved that he got launched into a wall by his kick. "That guy is the bad guy! C'mon let's take him out together!" Natsu pointed at Lyon, who watched the events unfold with a look of puzzlement and disbelief on his face. If one looked close enough, they would also see a masked man, Zalty at the back of the room with his mouth hung open and shocked.

Ichigo was beyond pissed with this pink-haired buffoon. "My name's Ichigo damn it! And I don't give a shit who the bad guy is, I just need to bring you back to Erza and we can leave this shitty island!"

Zalty's shock further escalated. 'He doesn't mind just leaving behind the supposedly bad guy?'

Natsu himself was also pissed at the soul reaper. "Why can't we just help them first huh?! They're suffering and they need help, and I'm gonna help. I don't give a damn if you and Erza have to drag me off this island, I won't abandon them! And if I have to fight you, then I will too."

Ah, the classic play-with-Ichigo's-soft-spot-for-protecting-people manoeuvre, not to say that Natsu didn't want to save them either.

"Tch, fine. I'll help you save these villagers but after that I'm going to drag you back to Erza by force if I have to."

Natsu grinned, "Guess you Soul guys ain't half bad after all."

Ichigo readied his bow and formed an arrow. "So which of these goons is the one we take down first?"

Natsu's fire burst to life around his form. He was really fired up now. "Just follow me!" He took off, eager to get a few hits on Lyon.

Ichigo followed suit. Or at least tried to. He was about to start making his way to a better position before the ground under him disappeared.

Zalty followed him down the hole soon after.

Natsu looked back and smirked. 'He should have no problem, just gotta beat the shit outta ugly here'

"Hey why are you even trying to free that monster anyway?" Natsu questioned.

"I don't see how it's any of your business but since you will not be living past this encounter, I might as well amuse you. I want to free it so I can kill it myself, so I can surpass my teacher Ur. That is all I wanted." Lyon threw ice projectiles at Natsu, whom did acrobatic feats that would make a gymnast jealous to dodge them.

"Just beat her then, why summon a monster? Why can't you just fight her?" Natsu asked, the whole situation was a little bit too confusing for his taste.

"She's already dead you imbecile. She's dead and she can't come back. And all of it is that bastard Gray's fault." Lyon summoned his snow leopard to attack Natsu, which failed before he moved into melee range. He launched a kick at the fire-mage's head, which was blocked by him.

"I'm not just gonna let you run scot free after hurting so many people, I'm gonna be the one to punish you!" Natsu let go of the leg he was holding on to and delivered a solid punch to Lyon's cheek.

 **-SS,MB-**

Erza, Lucy, and Gray made their way into the temple. Out of them all, Gray was by far the one in most of a rush. He was relentless in his path, running through the foliage like it wasn't even there. His heart hammered in his chest, his blood pumped hard in his veins, his breath was getting more and more quickened. He couldn't slow down though, not in the slightest. Quite frankly, it worried his teammates.

Lucy slowed her pace, hoping that Gray would do the same. She asked him a question. "Why does that guy even want to revive that beast?"

Gray, thankfully, slowed his pace in order to answer her. "Lyon wants to free Deliora so that he himself can kill it, meaning that he would surpass my teacher Ur since she was unable to kill Deliora. Only thing he doesn't realize is that Ur is not actually dead, which is why I have to stop him as fast as possible."

It was Erza's turn to comment. "Alive? What do you mean?"

Gray slowed his pace to a grinding halt. Erza and Lucy both stopped, concern showing on their face for Gray.

He stood still for a little bit before sighing, turning around, and started to explain what exactly was going on. "See, Ur is not actually dead… But she isn't really alive either. She is the ice that's encasing Deliora. To explain, I need to delve deeper into the past. Ten years ago, Deliora was on a rampage in my village. I don't even know how he appeared in the first place. The village… was destroyed. I was a lucky survivor that was trapped underneath some rubble. Most of the others weren't so lucky though… I was devastated. Even though I was still alive, I didn't feel like I was. I was just lying in some rubble, swearing that I'll kill that demon one day. That I would have revenge. That's when Ur and her student Lyon found me. They heard about what had happened, and decided to check the ruins for survivors. Thank god they did. She heard me… my cries about revenge… She took me in you know? She taught me her magic and gave me a nice home to stay in…"

Gray's voice hitched. He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and took a deep breath, before continuing. "I was quite a little rascal back then. I didn't really show her that I appreciated her all that much… Hell I even said that I was just learning from her so I could kill that demon. Lyon made his ambitions to surpass Ur quite obvious since the start. Her teaching methods might have been uncanny and bizarre and she may have had that stupid stripping habit that she passed down unto me but in all honesty… We both appreciated her more than anything… I looked up to her… I thought she was the best mage ever, still do if I'm being honest… But one day while shopping, we overheard some people talking about how Deliora was near, and that he was rampaging again."

Gray's fists trembled with anger, both at himself and the accursed demon. Erza and Lucy both let him have his time and space, respecting the man's will to share something so deep with them.

"I took off like the dumb little kid I was… I didn't even think what would happen, I just bolted when I heard he was near. I ran until I found him… I tried to hit him… Ha ha, to think that would do anything... She even tried to tell me that I wasn't ready… That I would get hurt… I didn't listen. The thing overpowered me in no time… Until Ur and Lyon arrived I thought I would die. All three of us tried to throw whatever magic we had at it. The thing just wouldn't die! Lyon got knocked out when he was hit by Deliora's collateral damage. The thing started charging some weird orb in its mouth, before firing it… And Ur…" Gray bit his lip and took a breather before going on. "Ur shielded us from the red blast with her magic and body… It was terrifying to see her lose a leg… She used a prosthetic of ice and told me it would be fine… She handed me Lyon, and told me to get ourselves somewhere safe… and that she would deal with it. She herself doubted she could stop it. Lyon awoke at that… He denied it of course saying how she was the best mage there was, and that no one could beat her. I believed that too… She told him that there were tons of other mages stronger than her, especially in the west. Poor guy's heart practically broke when he heard that. The fool started using **Iced Shell**. Of course, Ur didn't have any of that. She froze him in place. So he couldn't cast it… But the idiot inspired an idea within her. She knew that **Iced Shell** was the best bet at stopping the demon, so that's what she did…"

At this point the tears were beginning to stream down Gray's face. "She started casting it… I tried to stop her but she froze me in place too… She… She even tried to teach me… that the victim's body gets trapped in ice… Like I didn't know that. She… She asked me to tell Lyon that she… that she died. Her body was cracking and fading away into the ice… I… I tried to stop her… But it didn't work… I still remember her last words you know? _"I want Lyon to discover the World; Gray, you too, of course. You don't have to be sad. I'm alive. I'm eternally alive as ice. Step into the future. I'll seal your darkness._ " But how couldn't I be sad damn it?!... She… withered away while I did nothing… Just standing by and calling out to her… When Lyon came to and asked me what happened to Ur that was one of the hardest moments in my life… But I did what Ur told me to. I told him Ur died. Lyon, of course, blamed me for her death. Which was true, since I was the idiot that ran at Deliora…"

Gray wiped off his tears with his forearm, and straightened up. "That's why we have to stop him from melting that ice. I have to stop him from actually killing Ur." Erza and Lucy's grim expressions lightened as they heard the fire in their teammate's voice once more.

They kept running before they had to be stopped. They ran into Lyon's goons. Erza and Lucy both looked at each other and nodded. "Gray, go ahead, we'll handle things here." They said simultaneously.

Gray, while surprised, was grateful. He ran ahead into the temple, only to see that Natsu and Lyon were already in quite a heated fight.

"Natsu! I'll handle him. You can stop fighting him now, I got this." He shouted, getting the Dragonslayer's attention.

"Eh Gray? You sure? Last time Popsicle and you fought, you got your ass beat quite badly. Maybe you're just not up to task." Teased the Pink head.

"Shut the hell up Matchstick! And get away from Lyon. It's my fight now. I'll take care of him as penance for what happened in the past."

Natsu grinned and stepped aside, letting his teammate lead the charge.

Lyon chuckled at this, "Are you sure Gray, last time you almost died. You still can't beat me you know, not with that weak method **Ice-Make** you use."

Gray smirked humourlessly, with pain in his eyes and regret threatening to spill forth from his charcoal orbs, he readied himself. "I will beat you Lyon, no matter the consequences. I have to keep you from destroying Ur and her sacrifice. If I have to go down with you then so be it." Gray set his feet at shoulder length and crossed his arms at the forearms. Gray looked up at his rival and saw the look of utter shock on his face. "Recognize this Lyon?"

Lyon set his face back into a nonchalant stare. "You wouldn't dare to do it Gray, even if you did, it would be futile."

Gray locked eyes with his rival and let his determination shine through, "If you say so…"

He took a deep breath and the magic around him started swirling and turning into ice.

" **Iced-Shell!** "

 **-SS,MB-**

 **[A/N] Heyo, new chapter peeps, how was your New Years? Fun I hope. So this chapter covered the past of Gray and Lyon, some of the fights and it also signals that we're reaching the end of the Galuna Arc (yesssssssssssssss)**

 **As much as I dont like the Galuna Arc in certain ways, its quite an integral arc in the fact that it shows the past of a main character and the bonds between team Natsu.**

 **Some review reviewing!**

 **To Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Thanks, glad you like it.**

 **To Goost: Thanks for the constant review on each story, it really means a lot to me. For Orihime, well Never said she had to be the one going to Galuna Island to Ur if you catch my drift. I plan to revive Ur, just that its gonna be kinda hard for me to write and flesh out her character once she's back since we get so little of her personality, traits, quirks, and dialogue in canon. As for drinking Ur Water, its kinda kinky. Its a part of her, so technically she would be inside you, and she would feel every part of your body, since your body absorbs water. So in a weird way, if you did that she would be the person that has touched you in more places than any other possible, so its kinda poetically beautiful yet disgusting (like childbirth) Like if you pee, she's technically touching your no-no spot, which is quite the intimate situation... but if she has little to no sentience in that form, does it count as necrophilia? Like I said, creepy, weird, disgusting but oddly thought provoking.**

 **Yeah I do agree that canon didnt really do anything for her... She was just kinda left in the sidelines. Hopefully in this fic, Orihime is going to be one of the power players. As for limitations on her powers, I probably will put the limitation that she is unable to bring anything back from death. Death being the state at which the soul has left the body or the soul as moved on and becomes a part of the cycle - all according to the Gotei 13's balance. The amount she can do is also going to be limited I guess, like having her spiritual power be the fuel for her powers is something I find to be plausible, but then again, we have Urahra in this fic, so he's probably got some wacky, spiritual power transfer that can boost Orihime to an actual god status. But then again, I'm writing it so I'll try not to make it too Deus Ex Machina, but expect her to have some shining moments, which may or may not have been a little Deus E Machina, but then again, this is the Fairy Tail world we're talking about... Where the word 'nakama' is the strongest thing in existance. Hope your new year went well, and I hope you liked this Chapter.**

 **To bladetri: Gracias!**

 **To daizuke: Still don't really understand... But Ichigo might train the Fairy Tail members, or they might get some training from other sources, who knows. I would read your story but I cant speak latin.**


	7. Chapter 7

**SS,MB**

 **Chapter 7: A Nice View Of The Sky**

Ice and snow started spinning around Gray's feet, forming a whirlwind of bitter coldness that started to form a transparent sphere around Gray. Ice started to rise up from the ground and it started to cover his soles and spread upwards towards his ankles. A steady look of determination on his face as he stared straight into Lyon's own unwavering gaze. Lyon himself hadn't moved yet, he believed it all to be a bluff, even if he wasn't kidding the poor fool would only waste his life since his followers could put him under the **Moondrip**.

Just as the ice started spreading upwards even more towards his shins, they stopped. The spell had been interrupted by Natsu of course, with a flaming fist into Gray's soft cheek, he stopped the mighty **Iced Shell** from being fully casted. Gray's body was propelled by the speed at which his jaw turned from the punch, sending him flying to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing stripper?! It's my fight damn it, I'm gonna beat that no-good Popsicle down!" Natsu yelled, smoke billowing from his flared nostrils.

"Go away Natsu! I have to end this once and for all!"

"Shut the hell up! I may not be the smartest person but I know that your damn spell is gonna kill you, and killing yourself is basically the same as running away from this fight!"

Gray wasn't happy to admit it, but the pyromaniac was right. That spell would have to be used as an absolute last resort. And if he couldn't beat Lyon on his own, how could he bring pride back to his teacher's name after he had shamed it?

"Alright fine, just shut up and let me fight with you then." Gray grabbed a hold of Natsu's outstretched hand and picked himself up.

"Tch, fine. But you better not get in my way you pervert." Natsu faced Lyon, and grinned toothily.

"I should be worried about your slow ass getting in my way Matchstick." Gray squared up, magic circles already being formed at his hands.

 **SS,MB**

Zalty and Ichigo both found themselves having a standoff in a secluded area on the temple. Ichigo had his bow out and arrow nocked and pulled, ready to fire. Zalty seemed unarmed but Ichigo knew that it wasn't the case. It's never the case. Someone like him wouldn't dare try and fight Ichigo with nothing but fists. He knew that the masked weirdo would definitely have some form of way to combat him. Zalty moved his wands in a waving motion and quickly sprang to the side, avoiding the arrow that Ichigo sent flying when he saw the movement. Ichigo prepared to nock and let loose one more when he heard rumbling, and looked above. The ceiling was started to collapse straight on top of him! He managed to roll out of the way of a particularly heavy piece of rubble before they started raining down on him, trapping him inside a prison of rock and stone. He was starting to get irritated. Through a small opening he saw that Zalty was started to make his escape, running away further into the secluded ruins. That was the last straw, Ichigo sent a strong right hook towards the fallen rocks. They blasted away and he began to chase the masked man.

He caught up quite fast, and shot an arrow straight at Zalty. The blue arrow of spiritual energy was about to hit Zalty when an orb of what looks to be marble rose up in front of her. The arrow broke the sphere into tiny pieces, but sacrificed itself as well. The strangest thing happened though, the orb started forming back to its original form out of all the tiny pieces. After the last piece set in place, it shot towards Ichigo like a cannonball.

Ichigo's eyes widened. 'Shit…' He rolled to the side to dodge the flying orb of destruction. It impacted the ground next to him and sent dirt and debris flying everywhere. He readied an arrow again and let go. Once again, Zalty moved the orb in front of himself to block the arrow.

'Damn, these arrows are strong enough to obliterate a tree… What the hell is that orb…' Ichigo was getting frustrated. The cycle continued where he would shoot and dodge, shoot and dodge, shoot and dodge. He wasn't getting anywhere damn it. He noticed something as well, 'He isn't aggressing… It's almost like he wants to keep this cycle going… Let's see if I can pull something off'. He readied an arrow but instead of letting go, he ran straight at Zalty. Zalty was shocked as well. He readied the orb and sent it barrelling to Ichigo, expecting him to destroy the orb. He was shocked even further when Ichigo rolled towards the side, dodging the orb. Zalty smirked, even if he shot the arrow, the ball would be fast enough to block and hit. Apparently Ichigo thought this through as well as he fired the arrow backwards against the orb and leapt towards the unsuspecting Zalty. He launched a kick towards his face, aiming to land his shin into his jaw. He was about to but he got smashed in his rib with an orb. He was knocked back a distance, and he disengaged.

'Damn, that feels familiar. His magic is kinda like that police woman that arrested me and Grimmjow… He's not going all out… Every time I've fought anything in this world, they always say the name of the spell. So far, he hasn't used anything…' Ichigo frowned, his opponent wasn't taking him seriously. "You aren't even trying much are you?"

Zalty smirked at Ichigo. "Nope, but you aren't either. I've seen the kind of things you can do and what you're capable of. This little dinky bow and arrow isn't going to do much to me. So I would recommend getting serious."

'Strange, I never fought him before… How does he know what I can do?' It confused Ichigo, he has never seen this creep in his entire life. "I haven't fought you before… Or your allies, how do you know what I can do?"

Zalty's grin grew further, 'Good… He doesn't know me…'."How I got to know about you is none of your business."

"Tsk. You're quite an annoyance…" Ichigo nocked another arrow, this time it had significantly more size than the previous few. Zalty lost his smile.

The arrow was faster too, Zalty barely managed to dodge the arrow after noticing his orb was too slow to block it normally. Zalty prepared his own assault as Ichigo readied another arrow.

" **Flash Forward** "

Dozens of the same orbs that Ichigo was dodging appeared out of this air, and rocketed towards him. He tried dodging them by running to the side and rolling away, but they were homing. Just great…

He managed to dodge a good five or six orbs before his leg got clipped by one of the orbs, which slowed him down enough to get smashed by the rest. He rolled across the floor before getting up, noticing that he now had some blue vein looking lines along his forearms, which he used to block most of the orbs. Ichigo was boggled… The old man didn't teach him **Blut** yet… Or at least how to activate it on his own. 'Ossan?'

"You have gotten tardy in dodging enemy attacks Ichigo. I have activated **Blut Vene** for you so you wouldn't get too damaged, but it's the last time I will do it in this fight. However I am satisfied with your control over your **Hielig Pfiels**. Try using a **Licht Regen** to combat his large number of orbs. Gather up some reiatsu in your shooting shoulder before releasing the flood gates and sending a flood of arrows at your enemy."

'Ah damn, thanks Ossan… Just what I needed.'

" **You wouldn't need that stupid attack if you would just cleave that dumbass in half with my blade…** "

Looks like Zangetsu is still irked that Ichigo isn't using him…

'Ah shut up… You know I can't use you! If you have any problems take it up with the Old Man damn it! Now stop butting into our conversations if you have nothing good to say!'

" **Well I can't exactly help butting in when your conversation echoes throughout your whole fucking Inner World!** "

'Just deal with it! Ossan, help me keep him under control! I gotta get back to the fight!'

'Will do Ichigo.'

Ichigo came back to the material world. Barely a second has passed. Ichigo tried to use the tactic he employed before. He ran at Zalty.

"You're really gonna try that again? You're not stupid are you? C'mon… Get serious!" A magic circle appeared in front of his hands. " **Flash Forward** "

Ichigo planted himself onto the ground, the gathered reiryoku was released, forming hundreds of arrows. Admittedly they were weaker than the standard **Hielig Pfiel** , but all together they would destroy many things in front of it. " **Licht Regen** "

A few dozen orbs against a few hundred arrows, the arrows won out. They melted the orbs into basically powder before smashing the ground Zalty was previously standing. He grimaced, it looks like the fight wouldn't exactly be an easy one…

Ichigo wasn't about to let his opponent have some breathing room though, he started pumping reiryoku into his shoulder once again. He angled his bow towards Zalty, and let another blast of arrows fly forth.

Zalty had a tough time dodging this one. A few arrows managed to tear his clothes. He even got a tiny cut on his chin. It would leave a small scar but that was about it.

They found themselves at a standoff once again. Staring each other down with orbs and arrows at the ready. This time they didn't get the chance to start fighting again though. A thundering roar was heard by everything in a half mile radius of the temple. Ichigo was curious.

"Oi! What the hell was that roar!? You and your group have been doing some freaky shit about a demon, was that it?" Ichigo shouted.

"Aw, is the big bad bowman scared of a demon now? Just to humour you, that's Deliora. The demon of destruction. Speaking of which I should probably make my way there, you should too if you want to save your friends. See ya" Zalty replied. He activated his magic on the ground below Ichigo and the ceiling above him, sending him a floor down and having some rubble block his path for a little bit. He didn't expect it to damage him at the least but it would serve as a good distraction.

Ichigo punched through the rubble once again. He frowned before bolting off into the direction of the roar.

" **Ice Make: Hammer** "

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** "

Gray leapt up with his hammer, bringing it down to Lyon's location. Lyon dodged, but he wasn't expecting Natsu to be so fast as he saw his out of the corner of his eye taking a swing to his midsection. The impact of the flaming fist sent Lyon flying.

So far, the fight between them has been a one sided smack-down. Lyon knew he could go toe-to-toe with Gray no problem, but add the Salamander of Fairy Tail into the mix, it became an impossible task for him. At this point he would just have to try and buy time.

He looked down and grimaced at the state of his attire. Frozen bits and burnt edges. The occasional hole either burnt into his clothes or skewered by ice. Bruises covered his body and other injuries littered his being. He tried to fight back, but between the heat of the dragon slayer and Gray's own proficiency with Ice-Make his attacked would just get mowed down. There was one thing that he just didn't understand… Whenever they traded blows, Gray's ice would plough through his.

"Your attacks, how are they destroying my creations? When you're using that weak form?" Lyon let his inner questions known.

"You're pathetic you know that? The fact that you don't even know why is enough evidence to show that you've blinded yourself. I'll show it to you if you want the answer. Natsu you can stay out of this for a bit now. It's personal."

"Tch, fine. If you hate living so much then I'll relieve you of your burden! **Ice Make: Eagle** "

Gray summoned a sword of ice, and cut through the ice creations. He leapt into the air before summoning a hammer of ice and sending it smashing downwards at Lyon. Lyon shattered into ice, signalling a clone. From his back Gray heard " **Ice Make: Tiger** "

Gray was good at thinking on his feet though, he quickly created an ice cage around Lyon –and his tiger- trapping him in. Lyon tried his best to bust out of it but found that he couldn't.

"You wanna know why you can't bust out even with the tiger? Because when you use one hand, it makes you unbalanced and you can't use your full power. This was one of the first ever lessons that Ur thought us… And you just abandoned that and dared to mock it. I can't let you get off easily for that. Besides it's time we brought this fight to a close. **Ice-Make: Cannon!** " Gray summoned his frozen artillery and shot a giant ice ball at Lyon, smashing through the cage and tiger and sending Lyon into a wall. A quick check showed that he was unconscious.

"Heh, guess you didn't do _that_ badly stripper." Natsu walked over, grin on his face.

"Oh shut it you kitchen stove, I definitely did twice as much as you." Gray replied back with a smirk.

Natsu was about to retort and challenge the shirtless (and soon to be pants-less) Ice mage, but was cut off when they both heard a roar echo through the temple.

Gray and Natsu both nodded at each other before sprinting towards the sound.

 **SS,MB**

Erza found Toby, and smashed the flat side of her blade into his head, knocking him out and sending him away from the ritual site. Erza and Lucy were hoping it wouldn't be too late, but their hopes were shattered when they heard Deliora's roar. They ran downwards to the where the beast was kept encased.

When they reached they heard more sounds of footsteps coming their way. Erza and Lucy prepared weapons and keys respectively in case it was another enemy. They were pleasantly surprised when they saw Gray and Natsu running towards them.

"Natsu! Gray! Over here!" Lucy signalled.

Natsu and Gray sprinted over to them and doubled over, catching their breath. Natsu was first to speak. "Oh hey… Lucy and Erza… When did you two… Get here…" He managed to utter out a few words in between pants. "Wait… Erza?!" Natsu suddenly stood ramrod straight, looked into Erza's eyes and prepared to run in the opposite direction.

Erza caught hold of Natsu collar before he could get away though. "We have more important things to worry about Natsu, I think Deliora's coming back to life. I shall settle your punishment later. And have any of you seen Ichigo?"

Natsu adopted a look of thinking, before he responded. "Yep! He decided to help us out and went to fight that masked creep Zesty."

Gray sweatdropped. "I'm pretty sure his name was Zalty Natsu…"

"Ah whatever…"

Erza was pleased by Natsu's answer. Even though Ichigo's lack of discipline and obedience in carrying out the task and fulfilling the rules irked her, it still showed that he had a heart.

The group once again heard some footsteps, this time it was Zalty.

Zalty stopped in his tracks as he saw the group. 'Aw shit…'

Gray and Natsu were about to send a bombardment of magic attacks, but Erza stepped forward with sword in hand.

" **Flash Forward!** "

Erza sliced through a few of the orbs, the rest were dealt with by Natsu and Gray.

Zalty tried to run towards Deliora, but a few arrows imbedding themselves in the side of the wall she was just about to run in front of stopped her.

The blue arrows could be traced back to the white-coat wearing Ichigo. Erza and company were shocked. If Zalty had been any faster, he would have been dead.

"I was hoping you wouldn't be here that fast… Damn."

Ichigo had his trademark scowl. "You don't honestly think a little rubble and a floor difference is going to stop me do you?"

"Could always try."

"What the hell are you even doing here? You're not one of Lyon's lackeys. You have another agenda don't you?"

Zalty actually smiled a little at this. 'Good… He isn't stupid.'

"Looks like I'm caught red handed. Truthfully I knew with all my heart that Lyon can't beat Deliora no matter what he did. I just wanted him released so I could control him."

Gray was infuriated by this. "You… You want to release the demon of Destruction just because you want to control him?! And you think you're strong enough to control him?! What kind of nonsensical bullshit is this?!" Gray started charging up his magic, and shot an ice ball using his cannon. Natsu added in his roar. Zalty used orbs to block and dodge both attacks.

"Hahaha you really think that would do anything?" Zalty taunted.

"No, but this will." Ichigo spoke up from behind him. By the time Zalty turned to face him, Ichigo had already kicked his face round house style, smashing him against the wall behind him. Then he proceeded to knee Zalty in the gut and deliver a sharp punch to his chin to knock him out. And it worked.

Another roar from Deliora brought everyone's attention to it. The ice that trapped him was started to break into chunks.

Lyon's voice was suddenly heard. "All of you go away! This is my moment and mine only! I have to surpass Ur." The group turned to see Lyon with his multitude of injuries barely keeping himself up. Gray had enough of him at this point, and walked up to him and delivered a solid body shot with his right fist and Lyon crumpled back down to an unconscious form.

Deliora roared once again, and now it was almost completely free of ice, only its feet were still covered.

Gray sprang into action, he ran up to the demon and started charging up a spell that he got his ass handed to him for almost using earlier. **"Iced Shell"**

Just like earlier, he got his face pummelled by Natsu's fist. But this time he didn't understand why he did it.

"What the hell are you doing Natsu?! This isn't like before! I actually have to use it to stop that thing!"

"I'll fight it damn it!" Natsu shouted back.

"What do you mean you'll fight it!? You are definitely not strong enough! This isn't some competition of strength Natsu!"

"Shut the hell up! I'm not fighting it because it's a competition, I'm fighting it because I don't want you to die damn it!"

Gray stopped his argument. Natsu was right though. He was prepared to fight and risk his life so they could all escape together…

"Fine, we're taking him down together."

As Gray and Natsu prepared themselves to attack the demon, they noticed that it was started to crumble. The demon lifted his arm and formed a fist, preparing to smash the mages below it. But alas that never took place as his hand started to crumble. The effects of being in the prison of ice that long were started to show.

"Ur's **Iced Shell** completely drained it of its life force… It was already dead… Damn…" Gray came to the conclusion on his own. Such was the effect of the spell.

"You know, you keep talking about this **Iced Shell** thing but I still have no clue what it is…" Ichigo commented.

This time Erza decided to explain it. "It's a spell that transforms the user's body into ice to trap the recipient's body in it. It's a special type of ice though, since it can't melt."

"Wait, so it only transforms right?"

"Yes… Why is that information important?" Erza was confused, why would he pin point that exact detail?

"Because I have a way to bring her back to human form. But it's all dependant on much you can **Requip** now." Ichigo learnt of Erza's main form of magic while on the boat ride. Little chit chat to pass the time eventually lead to a conversation on how she pulled weapons out of thin air.

"I can **Requip** quite a decent amount of material. Why?"

Ichigo didn't bother to answer the question, he just ran off and started carrying some of the ice chunks. "Find and carry as much of the ice chunks as you can! Erza I need you to **Requip** these so they don't melt."

Erza and company did as they were told, if it meant that they could save Gray's teacher, then by all means they would do it. They gathered all the pieces they could find, thankfully none of them have started melting just yet. Erza concentrated deeply and managed to **Requip** all of the ice at one go. It took quite a bit out of her though.

"I know it seems weird right now, but just trust me I have a friend that's capable of some amazing things."

The group did think it was quite weird, but the new guild was just full of weirdness. And their weirdness almost wiped them off the face of the world.

Ichigo noticed that Zalty disappeared sometime during the whole debacle but he chose not to comment on it.

 **SS,MB**

The group was celebrating in the village now, somehow it had been rebuilt completely, almost as if it never happened. Natsu was scoffing down huge amounts of food. Happy had his own fair share, admittedly less than Natsu, being a cat and all. Lucy was just happy in her own relaxing chair, enjoying a drink. Gray was in a party mood, eating a little bit before going off to dance with some of the locals. Lyon was still tied up in one corner.

The mood of course had to be spoiled by none other than Erza. "Must I remind you all that we still haven't completed this mission yet? Why can't you all be more like Ichigo here, who is still prepared?" She gestured towards Ichigo who still had his gargantuan metal bow on his left hand.

"What?! How is it not over?! The demon's dead!" The group collectively complained.

"Killing the demon was not the purpose of the quest. It was to lift the curse on the villagers."

"But Deliora is dead… Shouldn't the curse have been lifted?"

Erza pondered about this information… Why is the moon a different colour?

Gray turned to Lyon, hopefully he would have some answers. "Hey, you started this whole **Moon Drip** thing, is that what's causing this moon?"

"I don't know why I should answer, but I have no clue. I have never interacted with the villagers, and vice versa. The **Moon Drip** has never affected me or my followers though. A word of caution, the villagers might be hiding something."

Erza decided to confront the villagers straight up, and left the room. The rest except for Gray followed too. Gray stayed behind. He found a chair, pulled it across and sat next to Lyon.

"You know Lyon, you should find a guild to be a part of… After I lose Ur, Fairy Tail was just as much of a family to me as her. They helped me recover and get over it. You should consider it, I'm sure if Ur really was brought back, she would love to see her two students doing well in guilds." With those parting words, Gray stood up from his chair and left, following the group's trail.

Lyon was left to stew in his own thoughts. 'Guess you're right…'

 **SS,MB**

Erza rallied the villagers to the town centre with the chief's aid. "We are here to try and dispel this curse affecting you, but we need your cooperation to help us do so. Please bear with us."

"Now, from what I have gathered, the **Moon Drip** has only been active for three years on this island. It has not had any effect on Lyon or his followers whatsoever, which puzzles me as you have said that the moon is causing you to transform into demons. There's something off here… Have you ever tried to investigate for yourselves?"

The chief replied, "Its tradition not to get far from the village. But even when we do try, we just end up reappearing at the village."

Erza went into some deep thinking. While she was thinking, she heard an understanding hum from Ichigo, but he paid little mind to that. She finally understood though. It looks like Ichigo understood faster though.

Erza **Requiped** into her **Giant Armor**. "Let's destroy the moon, Natsu. I need you to help me out. Use your magic and boost my spear."

"Sure I guess…"

Erza pulled back, and cocked her shoulder. She twisted her hips and threw the spear with as much force as she can. Natsu added in his power too. " **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** "

His fist impacted on the butt of the spear and combined with Erza's throwing force, the spear rocketed towards the moon, and it impaled it. And it started to crack.

"Eh?!" The rest of the group, sans Ichigo, and the villagers shouted in disbelief.

The cracks spread like cobwebs, and the moon and part of the sky shattered. It revealed a normal coloured, white, moon and clear sky behind it. There is what appears to be a purple film on top of the village, tinted the light that passes through.

"The **Moon Drip** left a lot of magic residue with started to float and cover the sky. Now that it's broken, it'll wear off."

The villagers weren't pleased though. "But we're not changing back! We're still demons!"

Ichigo cut into the conversation. "She's right, the magic wore off. But the magic didn't affect your forms. It affects your memory. Which is why it made you think you were human and why you always reappeared in the village."

"He's right." Bobo's voice cut in.

"What?! Bobo?! I thought you were dead!" The chief was almost in tears at seeing his son alive once more.

"I had to run away from the village so you all wouldn't be scared. But he's right. We're demons, not humans."

The chief was going to deny his claim but his head started hurting quite a bit. A flood of memories invaded his mind. Everyone else got the flood too. They spread their wings and took flight, afloat in the sky the chief embraced his once thought to be dead son.

"We cannot thank you enough Fairy Tail mages! Stay and have a feast to celebrate tonight!"

Natsu was absolutely thrilled. "Hell yeah!"

 **SS,MB**

Zalty turned off his transformation magic, turning into a curvaceous woman. Ultear watched the celebrations from afar, and she was aware that Siegrain was trying to talk to her but she had some more important things to think about. 'How does he plan to bring her back? I should keep an eye on him... If she's back though… Maybe I have a chance… But what should I do…?'

 **SS,MB**

 **[A/N] Hey, last week's upload was missed. Sorry bout that. Had things to deal with at the time.**

 **This chapter is the basically the last Galuna chapter, since the next chapter will end off the Galuna, and have a little filler and start the eisenwald arc.**

 **Some review reviewing c:**

 **To Goost: The whole Gray thing is basically because in Canon, we had this long ass flashback, which then Erza and Lucy suddenly understand everyrthing, so i tried to turn said flashback into a more emotional moment to show some depth to Gray's character, because I've noticed in a lot of fics that the characters aren't fleshed out in terms of depth a lot. Its mostly just using a typical cliche. Even in canon sometimes the characters feel a little shallow in the sense that they rarely show emotions other than the ones the readers are already used to. The Galuna arc actually shows a lot of the camaraderie and brotherhood that Natsu and Gray have for each other, which is often left out or overlooked in fics.**

 **I plan to make Ur join FairyTail since I think that's what would be best for her. Other than that, thanks for the advice of getting Ur's character fleshed out. Will check it out. I'm not too sure if I should make Ur a character of equal importance to the FT team or should I have her as a minor character that plays as a key in vital moments.**

 **Honestly to me, the canon scene when Orihime healed Loly and Menoly, seemed kinda just shoved in for convenience but i guess that works out for me because in this fic im going to introduce a few characters where their deaths have been reversed, one of them will probably be teased next chapter.**

 **To MementoMori115: Yeah the fraccion are in HM. And If I do need to have a OC Enemy then I'll be sure to PM you, thanks :D**

 **To warrior of six blades: Thanks for all the reviews :D**

 **To LightningBlade49: Thanks for the kind words.**

 **To daizuke: Still have no idea what you're saying but whether there will be Ichigo level opponents? we will just have to wait and see**

 **To SilentXD7: Thank you so much.**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 9: Two Bows._**

The feast was indeed, a real feast. So much so that even with Natsu and Happy, there was still plenty left over for the rest to munch on. Just like before, everyone was doing something different in the party. Ichigo and Erza were at a table of their own, discussing something. Lucy was off to the side, wondering what the next step in her novel should be. Gray decided to relax with his food in his hands on a chair to the back of the room, steeped in his own thoughts.

Ichigo didn't even know how he got pulled into this… Initially he just wanted some food and relaxation like Gray, but then Erza suddenly comes along and pulls him by his collar to their seat, demanding information. Understandably so. After all, in her world, there is no possible way to reverse the **Iced Shell** user back to human form. The conversation was rough at the start but gradually turned better.

Erza swallowed her food and continued with her talking (interrogating). "So your friend can reverse time and space to make it such that a certain event never happened? And that is how she primarily heals wounds?"

Ichigo just kept eating, replying between mouthfuls of food. "Yeah, that's how she heals us. Some of us, like me, have certain ways to heal ourselves. But I always prefer it if Orihime is the one healing me."

"So you believe that she can restore Gray's teacher back to her original form?"

Ichigo looked her straight in the eye. If there's one thing he could count on, its Orihime's power for saving people.

"She can do it. She will do it. But you should probably be careful around Gray's teacher when she's human again though… No one knows what being stuck in ice-form for that long can do to someone's psyche."

"I assure you that Fairy Tail will be able to help her recover from anything if needed. We are all about family and care for each other after all."

"That's nice… My, um… Guild is somewhat similar I would say. Some of us don't really give a shit if the others survive or not, but most of us really look out for each other. Take Chad for example, the big guy with tanned skin. He's been there for me ever since I met him."

Erza found herself intrigued at Ichigo's description of his guild. It would seem like they are not such bad people after all. But she knew for sure she would stay away from the blue haired one. He was just trouble.

Ichigo spoke, bringing Erza's attention to him. "So about our sparring match, when do you want to have it? Straight after we get back? Or would you want to wait for a few days and recover?"

Erza deliberated on his question. "I suppose we should wait a few days to ensure that we are at peak performance."

"That's fine with me." Replied Ichigo before digging back into his meal.

Erza took small bites of her food, not finding the appetite to eat with the same gusto as the boys. She stared out of the nearby window and placed a hand over her fake eye. 'Reject an event from happening huh?'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- **SS,MB-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

The group was gathered at the shore, saying their farewells to the island demons. The island demons themselves also wanted to thank their saviours.

The chief spoke up. "My dear friends, do accept the reward money and key for your troubles!"

Lucy almost jumped at the prospect. Erza stepped in though.

"We can do no such thing. Even though we saved you, these people went off without permission. That makes the quest void."

The chief wanted them to at least have something for their troubles though. "If I cannot convince you to take the money, then will you at least take the key? We have no use for it, and take it as a form of gratitude rather than a bounty."

That was something Erza could live with. "If you put it that way, we shall accept the key." She stepped forward and took the key from the chief's offering hand and handed it to Lucy.

"If that is all we must make our leave!"

Erza and company boarded the pirate ship, Natsu needed some encouragement in the form of a bash oover the head with the blunt side of Erza's sword. They set sail back to Magnolia.

-.-.-.-.-.- **SS,MB-.-.-.-.-.-.**

Lyon watched the whole thing from his spot in the island. A certain hint of melancholy and regret was present in his eyes. He turned to Sherry. "Sherry… Do you think joining a guild would be fun?"

"Hmm? Well… I would think so Lyon-Sama. Why'd you ask?"

Lyon, stood up and brushed himself off. "No reason… C'mon, we gotta leave this island."

"Yes Lyon-Sama." Sherry bounded off after him, the rest of Lyon's group followed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- **SS,MB-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

"Hello Siegrain." Ultear greets as she walks into the room.

"Hello to you too Ultear, you weren't able to obtain Deliora I assume?" Siegrain replied, smirk on his face.

Ultear glared at him. "It's a shame but it was already dead. My mother's spell was stronger than I thought it would be."

"Hmm, Deliora's death is certainly disappointing, but it's not critical. I do have to give props to your mother Ur for having the strength to kill a demon using a sealing spell though."

If Ultear's looks could kill, Siegrain would be dead by now. "My mother was a good mage and that was it. Nothing more. Not even her strength is all that special considering the amount of monsters running around today."

"That may be so, but she was definitely an outstanding one. Say, how did you get that cut on your chin?"

Ultear touched the scar faintly, remembering the fight. "The new guild in Magnolia has some potential, that's all I'll say."

"Potential you say?" Siegrain's attention was grabbed. "That's interesting, do I have another candidate for strength other than Erza and Natsu?"

Ultear knew first-hand some of the things that Ichigo is capable of. She spectated the fight between him and the blue haired guy for a while after all. If Siegrain wanted to use Ichigo, she wished him good luck. "Yes, he is definitely a possible candidate. In fact, you might want to try and go for him."

Siegrain let the thought stew and he stared at Ultear from his chair. His smirk grew. "That is certainly a good idea"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Fairy Tail group, with Ichigo, finally reached the shores of Magnolia. Natsu practically catapulted himself off the edge of the ship onto the dock below, kissing the ground and mumbling about how he loved it and how he would never step foot onto boat ever again.

Gray and Erza both picked Natsu up from the floor, placing him on his feet. They had an objective to rush to, and they didn't want the embarrassment he was causing of course.

"C'mon, my guild isn't too far away. If we're lucky, Orihime is still in the guild." Ichigo quickened his pace, almost at a jog. His white overcoat flapping in the wind, and his symbol being highlighted brightly by the sun's ray. The rest of the group nodded and followed him.

They reached the guild and Natsu kicked the doors open, much to the shock of the lower tier Soul Reapers and the displeasure of the stronger inhabitants.

Ichigo's eyes scanned the room, looked for the head of auburn hair and gentle featured face he has come to rely on. His eyes darted left and right before he found her. "Orihime!"

The girl herself was surprised. She practically jumped, dropping the cup of tea she had in her hand. Her head turned so fast, it was a wonder how she didn't give herself whiplash. Her eyes were treated to the sight of her crush and a group of Fairy Tail mages running towards her.

Ichigo reached her and didn't hesitate to start talking. "Orihime, we need you. You need to use your power on some chunks of ice. I know it sounds weird right now, but those ice chunks are Gray's teacher, and we have to help them before the ice melts."

Orihime seemed flustered with both the sudden bombardment of information and the close proximity Ichigo has taken with her. Well, who was she to disagree to any of this. If it helps someone, she'd do it.

"Sure Kurosaki-kun, where's the ice?" she furrowed her brow and placed her pointer and middle finger on her left hairpin.

Ichigo turned back to Erza, "Can you bring the ice out? And lay it on the ground."

Erza gave a brief nod before she reached into her pocket dimension and pulled out a few large chunks of ice and set them on the floor, as close to each other as possible.

"Alright Orihime, do your thing!" added Ichigo.

" **Soten Kisshun: I Reject** " Orihime's hairpins materialised a dome of orange energy over the chunks of ice. The process was quite an amazing thing to see. The ice first started bending and moulding itself like clay into a silhouette of a woman, before finer details took place in the ice, like hands, fingers, legs, toes. The clear ice started gaining colour, and slowly the head, face, torso, abdomen, arms and legs were back to human. Even the leg that Ur lost was now back in place. The dome was on her figure for a little while longer, before it dispersed. Signalling that the process was done. And there she was. A healthy-looking, human Ur.

Only after overcoming their shock of seeing such an impossible task taking place, did the whole group realise that Ur was as naked as the day she was born.

Ichigo's face now resembled one of the meanings his name possessed. Natsu and Gray both had blushes. Erza was furious though.

With one sweep of her arm, she managed to clobber all three men on the head with the blunt side of her sword. Orihime, went off and returned with huge blanket and draped it over the ice woman's unconscious form. She winced when she saw Natsu and Gray on the floor nursing their heads and Ichigo nursing his standing.

"Why the hell did you hit me?!" Ichigo demanded to know.

"Because you were staring lecherously at an unconscious woman's bare body. That is something I cannot allow."

Orihime pouted slightly as the word "lecherously".

Urahara chose this moment to pop into the conversation. "My, my, Ichigo! When did you become such a pervert? Looking at naked women like this. What would your father say about this?" He feigned a tone of disappointment.

Ichigo's forehead vein looked ready to burst. "Don't you dare try and twist this situation! How was I supposed to know she was gonna end up naked! And if you drag my dad into this, God help me Kisuke I will bash you to Soul Society and back!"

"Geez, no need to get so violent Ichigo. I understand that as a growing young boy, you have your needs. All I'm saying is that, it's probably not a good idea to ogle someone's naked teacher and mother figure when he's standing right next to you. Besides, how could you not know she would be naked, according to what I saw, she transformed into ice. And I didn't see any clothing on that ice." Kisuke grinned toothily. Taking great pleasure in annoying Ichigo.

"Damn it, I am going to beat the shit out of you Kisu-!"

"Ah damn, what's with all the noise? Shut up and let a woman sleep peacefully." A feminine voice cut through Ichigo's anger. The group followed the noise to its source, and found a sleepy looking Ur sitting up, holding onto the blanket that's covering her body.

Gray was shocked beyond belief. "Ur… Ur you're awake…"

Ur set her eyes on the source of the sound and saw someone that looked a lot like Gray. "Who are you kid? And how do you know my name? You look a lot like my student Gray. And of course I'm awake, how is anyone not awake with the kinda noise you bunch are making? And say, why am I on the floor and naked?"

Gray's jaw dropped. How was she still so nonchalant?! And she didn't recognise him?!

"It is me Ur… I'm Gray… We brought you back to normal from **Iced Shell** …"

Ur's eyes widened as much as they could possibly go. "Wait, no… no, no, no… You can't bring me back… What about Deliora…? No, this is way too messed up… This can't be real… This… This is the afterlife isn't it? What are you doing here so early Gray...? No… no…" She mumbled these words, before she fainted.

Gray sprang into action, carrying his mentor bridal style. "Thanks for all the help, but I need to get her to the infirmary first. I'll tell you all about it next time we meet!"

Gray bolted out the door, making his way to Fairy Tail as quick as he could. The rest of the group followed.

Orihime looked on with troubled eyes. "Will she be alright?" She asked meekly to nobody in particular.

Kisuke answered, "She'll be fine given enough time. She's just too overloaded with information right now."

Orihime took some solace in that, and went to take a mop to clean up her spilt tea.

Ichigo frowned at the sight of the open doors, but there wasn't anything he could do to help. He was feeling weird though, like he was being watched. He turned back suddenly and looked upwards towards the roof. Nothing was there… Strange…

-.-.-.-.-.- **SS,MB-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

Ultear was holding back tears and sobs. She panicked. She didn't expect to be sensed by Ichigo, so she had to close the hole in the wall she made. But she got enough information. She hugged her knees and out her back against the wall and let some tears flow. 'She's actually alive… She was brought back…'

-.-.-.-.-. **SS,MB-.-.-.-.-.-**

Ichigo shrugged off his feeling of paranoia and turned to Kisuke. "Oi Hat-And-Clogs. I don't see the rest of the group anywhere. Where are they?"

Kisuke turned to Ichigo. "Well, they're all on jobs. Except Grimmjow. I think Nel and Harribel went together, Ishida and Chad went together."

The news confounded Ichigo slightly. 'They took jobs…?'

The guild doors opened again and Ichigo saw Nel and Harribel walk through, each holding a brown sack. Nel looked at the guild before spotting a mop of orange hair. She squealed. "Itsygo!"

She dropped her bag and launched into a hug from across the guild. She tackled Ichigo to the ground and hugged him furiously. "Where have you been Itsygo?! You suddenly went away for a while without telling us! I was worried!"

Ichigo tried to answer her but all that came out was sputters and chokes. His face started turning purple.

Orihime stepped in, and so did Harribel. "Nel-chan! You're choking him!"

Harribel added in her two cents worth. "Release him Nel. He's starting to turn purple."

When words obviously not enough, the two grabbed each of Nel's shoulders and pried her off Ichigo. Who tried to thank them, but could only gasp for breath.

"Tha… Thanks… guys" He picked himself up and dusted himself off. Orihime's eyes brightened as an idea struck her.

"How about we bake a few pies and give them to the Fairy Tail group? I'm sure they would appreciate it, even more so now that they're taking care of someone."

The rest of the three seemed pleased with that idea.

Ichigo rolled his right arm to make sure Nel hadn't accidentally squeezed the arm out of the shoulder socket, and made his way to the door. "Well, let's get going then"

"Yeah and we can pay for it using the money we just got from our job!" Nel added in cheerily. So the group set out to find a pie shop.

After little walking they stumbled across the bakery Ichigo saw Erza in on his first day here. They entered and the jingle of wind chimes notified the man at the counter of their presence in the store. He was a portly man with a greyed moustache. Ichigo and Orihime both swore that he looked exactly like the chef they saw on canned food items in the supermarket. Usually it would be canned ravioli.

The man greeted them. "Ah new faces! How can I help? Looking for anything in particular?"

Ichigo shot a quick glance to the multitude of breads and cakes on display, and answered the smiling man. "Do you sell any pies here?"

The man's smile grew. "Why, of course we do boy! Blueberry, strawberry, apple, pumpkin, whatever you name, we probably have a pie with it as a filling!"

Ichigo looked pleased. "That's great, we'll take two strawberry pies and two blueberry pies."

The man went to the back for a bit and came out with two boxes with a transparent top. Looking in it, he could see two pies in each box, the two flavours were separated. "There you go my boy! Freshly baked! That will be six thousand jewels."

Harribel took out the necessary bills and gave them to the man. The group bid farewell and left the store, starting their trek to the Fairy Tail Guild.

Along the way, Ichigo took the chance to ask a question that has been bugging him for some time. "Nel, how come Harribel is the queen of Hueco Mundo now? Aren't you and her paralleled in strength? And isn't the Primera still around?"

Nel put a finger to her slightly pouted lips, "Well, I can run Hueco Mundo, but I just don't want to… It's a hassle. I already have all I need with you guys and my Fraccion. And before the Quincy thing, Starrk hanged around Las Noches with Lily-chan and slept whole days off. But during the invasion he went to fight. Once everything was over we found him but he was in really bad condition… He's currently resting at Las Noches. Speaking of which, I really have to thank Orihime-Chan for healing, or is it reviving? The decent Arrancars while you were beating Aizen. I really like Lily-chan, Starrk is also much better to deal with than some of the other male arrancar…"

Ichigo was surprised by the answer. He had no idea the Primera was still healing. While recruiting Harribel and company, she did say that the Primera would be able to join us in some time. He just didn't know it was because he was still recovering. That raised the question too, who had he fought? Perhaps one day, the group would pay a visit to Hueco Mundo…

"I think he'd love to come here Itsygo, he always wanted something like a family" Nel commented.

Ichigo nodded along, "If it's family he's looking for, I think he'll like our little group."

The saw the Fairy Tail guild doors as they turned the street, and quickened their pace. They reached the guild doors, and knocked on it.

And knocked.

And knocked again. Only to be ignored…

Ichigo's temper soared through the roof, he stepped back and readied his leg like a piston. He yelled, "Comin' in!" before kicked the doors wide open, startling the people in the guild. Who looked to be halfway through a party.

Mira recognized them at first glance from her place at the bar counter. But unfortunately… So did Natsu.

"Hey carrot top! What's the big idea kicking open our doors?!" Natsu shouted, painfully ignorant of the fact that he does the exact same thing each time he entered.

"We knocked on the door three times and no one answered so I found a way to make sure you would notice!" Ichigo shouted back. He stepped forward into the guild, walking up to the bar counter with the three women in tow. He cleared his throat and spoke to the woman in white. "Excuse me, but could we speak to Erza? Or maybe the master?"

Mira nodded happily, "Erza is right there at the table to the side." Gesturing to her left. "And the master is still in his office doing some paperwork to have Ur inducted into the guild. She hasn't woken up yet but the master is making plans for her. Coincidentally that's why we're having this party."

"Ah I see, thanks for that." Ichigo made his way to the scarlet haired, armoured beauty.

Erza noticed them coming from the corner of her eye while she was enjoying her strawberry cheesecake. She put her fork down and straightened up. "How may I help you all?"

Ichigo placed the pies on the table, "These are for you and your group, think of it as a 'get well soon' present for Gray's teacher when she wakes up too. We just came here to give you these and find out how Gray's teacher is doing. From the chick at the counter, I know she's still sleeping. If that's all then we should probably be making our way back." As he turned, he felt an armoured gauntlet clamp onto his shoulder.

"Wait, it's thanks to you and your group she's still alive, why don't you settle down and join us in the festivities? You can get to know our group better. Or at least have a meal."

Ichigo was about to refute the offer, but his stomach chose the wrong time to grumble. "Ah damn, fine we'll join you."

The group situated themselves around a large table, big enough to fit them all. Mira walked by and handed the table a tray of drinks and snacks. Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Happy noticed the group and made their way to the table too.

Whereas Natsu, Lucy and Happy took seats and got comfortable, Gray remained standing. He moved himself next to Orihime and at a ninety-degree angle, back straight and arms at his side. "Thank you… so much. For bringing Ur back. I can't ever hope to repay you for this, but I will try my hardest to."

Orihime was understandably flustered. "Eh, no, no, it wasn't much… Please raise your head, stop bowing." Her hands flurried, trying to gesture Gray to return to a normal posture. Ichigo scoffed. He stood up and grabbed Gray's neck, pulling him back up into a straight standing position. "Relax would you? Orihime and our group don't do this kinda stuff for thanks or repayment. Now sit down and eat some pie."

Gray wanted to retort, but he knew that Ichigo was being truthful, and by the look on Orihime's face, he could tell she wasn't comfortable, so he took his seat next to Lucy and got himself a slice of blueberry pie.

Erza cleared her throat, receiving Ichigo's attention. "So Ichigo, when shall we have that spar of ours?"

The table looked shocked, they had no idea they were going to fight. Natsu looked offended, he wanted to spar with the two of them too. "Hey! No fair! I wanna fight Erza and you too!"

Erza would normally have delivered a swift blow to the top of his head with her metal gauntlet, but this time she let it slide. It was actually a good idea. Now that their group was a lot less powerful, perhaps it would be a good test for them. "I approve of you fighting Ichigo, Natsu. What about you Ichigo, do you agree?"

Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly, "Meh, I'm fine with anything. Just don't expect him to be at top condition once I beat him to the ground."

A vein popped at the side of Natsu's head. "What was that?! You think you can beat me?!"

Harribel cut in this time. "Actually I have a suggestion. How about I fight your pink haired friend? I still have not gotten over the comment about Nel and I being weak."

Nel did her best to try and dissuade Harribel from fighting. "It's alright Harribel! No really, I'm wasn't offended at all! Let's just not fight, how about that?"

Natsu picked his own fate though. "Eh, fine. I'll fight you and I'll definitely destroy you!"

Gray and Lucy facepalmed.

"We could have the fight now if you want." Erza stood up, and walked out to the back of the guild, the de facto arena to the Fairy Tail wizards. Erza's exit didn't leave much room to disagree, even if her words said otherwise.

"Well, let's go and get this over with." Ichigo stood up and followed Erza, his vision soon turned black and revealed his inner world, and old man Zangetsu.

"If you are about to fight Ichigo, it's about time you learnt the **Hirenkyaku.** It's a basic skill every Quincy worth his bow should know. You picked up **Shunpo** and **Sonido** rather quickly, you should learn this in no time. Focus on the movement of Reishi beneath your feet. Once you have it, let the flow of the Reishi take you to your destination. You don't have much time to practice, your body is on auto-pilot right now. Try it a few times then return quickly. " The old man said.

"Got it!" Ichigo, having already gotten used to the old man's uncanny and rushed teaching methods, sprang into action. He concentrated on the Reishi around him. It was faint, and wispy, but it was there. He used his own spiritual pressure to guide the Reishi to where he needed to go, and he let himself go. It was a new and weird experience for him, to be pulled to a location rather than to dash toward it. He repeated the motion a few more times but he was suddenly yanked out of his Inner World and he saw day light once again.

He was greeted by the sight of Erza standing opposite him a respectable distance away. A crowd had gathered around them. He heard someone call him. "Ichigo, are you ready to start?"

He looked to the side and saw the master of Fairy Tail, judging by the voice, he also asked the question. Ichigo nodded and materialised his bow.

The master gave a set of instructions first. "Alright, I want this to be a friendly spar! No use of lethal force, no permanent injuries, and keep your environmental damage within the borders of the arena! If both contestants are ready, you may fight!"

Erza was first to begin, " **Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armour!"** A bright flash covered her being before she was revealed, in her stunning armour. With two swords in hand, she got into fighting stance. " **Circle Sword!** " Multiple swords appeared around her in a circle formation, rotating faster with each turn. " **Dance my blades!** "

The sharp circle of swords was launched at Ichigo. He didn't look fazed at all.

He charged up a large arrow and shot it straight at the menacing bunch of blades. It broke through all of them, causing the blades to shatter. "You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that to beat me." He started firing arrows at Erza in a steady stream, forcing her to use short bursts of speed and flight to dodge the onslaught of arrows.

Erza wasn't about to let Magnolia's new comers push her into the defensive though, she charged up her own spell. " **Blumenblatt!** " She dashed toward Ichigo, slicing with her swords in an X-formation. With a quick use of **Hirenkyaku,** he dodged the slash but he wasn't expecting the huge amount of swords that came crashing down on him. He did his best to dodge, but it was futile against that many swords. Especially when he had little experience with **Hirenkyaku**. The dust cleared and it showed Ichigo with a few tears in his pant leg and a cut on his left hand.

"Damn… Fine, let's get serious shall we?" Ichigo re-positioned himself and shot a few arrows at Erza, before re-positioning and repeating it again and again. Erza tried to fight back with a few more spells, but with the speed Ichigo was able to move and the fact that long range attacks seemed to be in his favour, he opted to change her armour. " **Requip: Blackwing Armour!** " She donned one of her fastest armours, and took flight. She used her increased mobility to try and close the gap with Ichigo as much as she could. It proved to be a hard task to accomplished, what with the constant barrage of arrows and his own speed. But she understood the distance he could burst now. How long it took him to shoot. A rough estimate of the speed his arrows went at. And she was going to use it against him. 'Wait for the shot… Wait for the shot… just a little bit more… Right… There!' She prepared her sword. " **Moon Flash** "

She bolted towards Ichigo, but she was surprised when he moved way too far back than she calculated. 'What?!' She saw the smirk on Ichigo's face though.

Ichigo pulled back the bowstring and gathered some power into his shoulder. " **Licht Regen** "

Erza knew she was in deep shit when she saw the sheer number of arrows coming her way. " **Requip: Adamantine Armour!** " She smashed the two parts of the shield together and braced for impact. The onslaught of arrows hammered against her shield and propelled her backwards. The angle they were shot from meant that Erza would crash onto the ground. Hard. And that's what she did. The impact sent dirt and dust flying everywhere. When it settled, it showed Erza in a state that was worse for wear. Her armour was damaged and chipped and the shield was dented and pierced.

Ichigo landed opposite Erza. "Wanna end the fight here? I don't think you can keep going for very long."

As much as it pained Erza to do this, she'd have to end it here. She got what she wanted anyway, a rough idea of what Ichigo was capable of. And he's offering a way to make it a sure fire tie. "I shall accept this match to be a called a tie and stop fighting."

Makarov nodded sagely. "Very well. The fight between Erza and Ichigo is over. No more fighting may commence! It is a tie!"

The crowd had mixed feelings. The ones that bet on Ichigo were disappointed, and those that bet on Erza were relieved. Cana was just unhappy because she couldn't get more money for drinks.

Orihime rushed onto the arena, pins at the ready. The golden dome appeared over Ichigo in no time flat. "Are you okay Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah I'm fine Orihime, no need to worry. Thanks for the healing though." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and smiled. Unknowingly making Orihime light up like Rudolph's nose.

"Eh Orihime, you okay? You're lookin' red. You got a fever or somethin'? Must be all the weird stuff you eat…" He commented offhandedly, looking sick just by thinking of the food combinations Orihime ate.

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with my food choices!" Orihime pouted cutely at Ichigo.

"Oh hey, could you heal up Erza too? I used too much strength on that last attack."

Erza's ears perked up at this, she turned towards the two. "There's no need for you to trouble yourself, I can recover just fine in the infirmary."

"Oh relax, it's much faster this way and she doesn't mind."

Erza looked a little sheepish, but she relented. "Well, as long as she doesn't mind then…"

The golden dome took place over Erza and her bruises and scratches were gone in a jiffy. She was even more surprised when she started regaining eyesight in her right eye. The prosthetic was gone and now was replaced by an actual real working eye. She couldn't believe it… How could this be? She could actually start to feel a tear welling up. Once the power faded, she leapt onto Orihime. Hugging her fiercely and letting a tear go into her shoulder. "Thank you. I don't know how you managed to bring back my eye, but thank you so much."

"Eh? What eye? What happened?" Orihime was just as confused as everyone else.

Erza lifted her head and wiped her eyes dry. "When I was young I lost my right eye, what you saw before was a prosthetic. You have my deepest gratitude for that." She kneeled and bowed.

Orihime wasn't about to have another person bow to her though, she caught Erza's shoulder and pulled her up. Showing a remarkable amount of strength in her relatively lean frame.

"Its fine, I'm just glad I helped."

Erza nodded, and stepped back. Makarov witnessed the whole event, and he was shocked to the core as well. But there was still one more fight to get on with though.

"Will Harribel and Natsu please step forward?!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

 **[A/N] *Kneels and bows for forgiveness* I apologize deeply for the extremely late upload. Had many things to do due to Chinese New Year. This chapter finally finished up the Galuna Arc. And we got a sneak peek at Starrk. He's alive and in Hueco Mundo. As for what I have planned with him I dont intend to let yall know until you see it.**

 **Ur is back, and so is Erza's eye. This should be interesting.**

 **Review reviews time.**

 **To CaitiAthena: at which part...?**

 **To Goost: I might put Ur with Gildarts if the situation arises for it, but for now I'm just planning to work out the resolving scenes. At least now you know how Starrk is doing. The Alverez Empire will be interesting to tackle too. For now though, I'm just planning to work out the first few arcs. Its quite a long way to Alverez from the first arc...**

 **To gunzen: Yeah I realised that after a while that its my story and that I should take charge with it. I'm still leaving some options up to the readers, but for now, I have the core harem members for Ichigo decided and set in stone.**

 **To naruto: Thanks.**

 **To Zero: I wont be having Ur in the harem. Partly because its weird to do so, and partly because I have other plans for her.**

 **To warrior of six blades: Unfortunately, the Kisuke Idea wasn't implemented, but it was quite a genius idea, so kudos to you for that.**

 **to daizuke: This chapter should be more action packed so I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **To Neah Walker17: Im not gonna add Ur to the harem, for reasons stated above.**

 **To Lightningblade49: Thanks. It shouldnt take him long, once he sees her the next time with a scar, he should know.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: A Starting Lullaby!**

Harsh winds blew around the arena, sweeping up the granules of dirt and sand. The clouds had turned a dark grey colour, threatening to let loose a torrent of rain. Harribel's blade had a menacing gleam in the darkened environment, carrying with it a promise of pain. The expression on her face was as grim as the weather, her eyes set in a stern scowl that could give Ichigo a run for his money. Natsu had a grin on his face with determined eyes. He flexed and relaxed his forearms in preparation. He hunched over slightly with bent knees, ready to dash forward and annihilate his opponent.

He had been rather excited to. Ever since he saw what some of them were capable of in the guild, he was thirsty for a fight. He lusted for a battle to test his mettle. Perhaps if he could win this swordswoman, the one he's been chasing after would fight him too. Embers flickered off the fire that encased his hands, wispy in the wind. His pink locks were blown to one side, nearly obstructing his view. He patiently waited, and waited, with quick breaths and tensed muscles. The amount of time it was taking the master to announce the start of their fight was agonizing, every second felt like an hour, every slight movement made his fingers twitch, the scent of power coming from his opponent made the wait unbearable.

'C'mon Gramps… Just call it already!'

Makarov briefly stole a glance at both participants before raising his hand in the air, ready to swing down like a guillotine. "You may fight!" His hand swung down and even before it reached his side once more, Natsu was off.

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!** " He swung his fist at Harribel's face, with the intent of shoving it into the ground. But she wasn't called Queen of Hueco Mundo for no reason.

She ducked to the left, the fist just missing her face. She could feel the heat emanating from it and she scoffed. 'He thinks heat like this is supposed to scare me?'

She grabbed onto the outstretched wrist and went for a vicious knee into Natsu's ribcage, hoping to break a few of them. She was surprised when he twisted his arm, making his body slide right past the knee and he launched kick to her neck, which she blocked with her forearm. Natsu used his other leg to kick off from Harribel and land on his feet. She saw Natsu crouch slightly, and she wasn't about to let him go on the aggressive. She used her limited **Sonido** to appear right in front of Natsu, blade already poised to strike. She swung downwards, actually slicing Natsu's retreating form. A cut appeared on Natsu's forearm, bleeding and gruesome. Natsu used his fire to cauterize the wound quickly, wincing slightly in pain as he did so. 0

Erza wanted to stop the fight. She could see clear as day that Natsu wouldn't win. Not only was the technique of the blonde woman practically perfect, she was durable enough to block Natsu without problem. Even she had difficulty blocking some of Natsu's normal hits at times, and she hasn't even shown any magic. A glance to Ichigo showed a disapproving frown as he followed Natsu's movements. She had hope, but she had a feeling it would soon be crushed. "Ichigo, is your friend known for showing mercy?"

Ichigo sighed and put his palm to his face. "Nope. Especially since Natsu called her weak. Something no one should do, considering her background."

Ichigo put his hand back to his side and returned to his scowl. "Your friend doesn't stand a chance at all."

Erza took offence at that. She trained Natsu a little, and he certainly had the attitude to succeed. "I believe Natsu has a chance. As long as he tries hard enough, he always manages to pull through."

Ichigo almost pitied Erza for her naivety. It was almost cute that she thought in such a way. Unfortunately it's not like that, not to them. "That kind of mentality will get you far in life, not a fight. In a fight you don't aim to win, you aim to kill. Natsu's doing what he can to win, or at this point, survive. He's never going to beat Harribel."

Erza was appalled at the words she heard. "That is ridiculous. How could you say that the only way to win a battle is to kill someone?!"

Ichigo regarded her with cold eyes, signalling that the conversation would not be carried further. "I say that from experience."

Erza could feel the tension in Ichigo's eyes. Shadows of misery dancing in the back of his eyes. The eyes that a teenager should not have. Grief, guilt, anger, and countless other negative emotions lurked beneath the chocolate orbs that scowled at her. Hidden behind a façade of ignorance and unfriendliness. She spotted a scar too, when he was sleeping on the boat and his robe was pulled to the side. 'What have you gone through…?'

"Sorry, I was not intending to bring up bad memories. You may strike me if you wish." Erza bowed low, putting her head in a vulnerable position.

"It's fine… Just stand up, you're missing the fight." Ichigo yanked her up to proper posture by her shoulders. "Not that it's much of a fight… Your friend has been put on an extremely defensive position. Look for yourself."

Erza looked at the arena, and it was true. Natsu was having a lot of trouble. She could see multiple cuts on his flesh now, some bleeding and some cauterized. He was desperately trying to dodge, but Harribel's speed was too much to deal him for him. 'That's strange… Natsu should have gotten used to the speed by now.'

Natsu dodged once more and grinned. "I got you figured out now!" He dodged a slash and sent a punch into Harribel's guts. To everyone's surprise, it connected.

Harribel was knocked back, but otherwise unharmed. She readied her sword once more. "Figured out you say?" She appeared next to Natsu once more but she wasn't expecting a fiery fist to be travelling toward her face. She blocked it with her sword's blunt side but she was still pushed back. She heard Natsu call out a spell too. " **Fire Dragon's Roar** "

The torrent of fire hit her sword, and she blocked it. She wasn't expecting to hear Natsu's voice from above though. "With a flame on the right hand." Natsu's right hand was ignited. "And a flame on the left hand" His left hand was now on fire. Harribel looked on bored, almost glad her opponent was trying to fight back now. "When you combine the flames together…" Natsu put his hands together. " **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!** " Natsu threw down the giant ball of flame at Harribel, who smirked. Makarov almost had a heart-attack. 'I thought I said no permanent injuries!'

" **Ola Azul** " Harribel fired a yellow ribbon of energy from her sword at the fireball, meeting it halfway through. It caused it to prematurely explode, leaving Harribel unharmed. Natsu was opposite her, panting and exhausted and in disbelief. 'How the hell…?' The Fairy Tail group had their jaws on the floor. No one in the guild except the master and Gildarts could do something like that…

Harribel spoke up, "Its time I ended this. I will show you how far we are in power." Her blade glowed yellow. Ichigo panicked at the sight. He could feel the pressure from the blade, and it was very, _very_ recognizable. He shouted as he flashed into the arena. "Harribel no! Don't use-!"

" **Cero!"**

A blindingly bright yellow arc of pure power raced toward a wide-eyed Natsu. It exploded. The Fairy Tail group was horrified. That kind of power combined with Natsu's already beaten form meant it would be hard for him to survive. Erza and her team rushed into the arena. "Natsu!"

They couldn't see in the smoke, but they heard his voice. "I'm fine!"

Everyone's eyes bulged out at this. 'How the hell is he still alright?!' their questions were answered when a particularly strong wind blew away the smoke, revealing the white clad Ichigo in front of Natsu with his hand outstretched. 'He blocked it with his hand?!'

Ichigo wasn't unscathed though… The skin on his palm was practically gone, and the flesh was charred. All along his arm, they could see blue lines.

Harribel sheathed her sword and ran over. "Ichigo! My apologies… I was not meaning to hit you. But why did you block it? I do hope I have not hurt you." She held the injured hand in her own, inspecting it and brushing over the surrounding his her thumb in a tender motion. Care was visible in her hard eyes, though it was hard to see.

Ichigo winced slightly… Took a look at Harribel and sighed. "Why would you throw a **Cero** at him in a casual fight?! And I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Makarov decided to call of the fight now before anyone died… "The fight is over! Harribel is the winner!"

Orihime and Nel reached the stadium. Orihime visibly struggling in her attempt to hold Nel back by her hand so that Nel wouldn't tackle and hug Ichigo to death for worrying her. Ever since the fight with Nnoitora, she had been like that. She managed to get the dome over all three people; Harribel, Ichigo, and Natsu.

They were healed to top health, and she was still struggling to hold Nel back. Harribel and Ichigo walked back to their group. Natsu stood up and patted his clothes down. He smiled a wide grin. A genuine smile. "Thanks for the fight! Any chance I can fight you again soon?"

Everyone sweat dropped at his question… He almost died and he still wants to fight her?

"I would suggest you get stronger first. It was a boring fight for me." Harribel replied coldy.

Natsu pouted. Erza walked up and smashed her fist into Natsu's head. "What do you think you're asking her for another fight for? You almost died in this one! And you still haven't thanked Ichigo for saving you." She grabbed a hold of the knocked out Natsu's head, and bowed along with it. "We sincerely thank you for saving Natsu. He means a lot to us."

"Its fine, how many times do I have to repeat that phrase?" Ichigo was tired of saying that all the time.

Erza nodded, "That was a good fight I have to say. You are certainly powerful. I look forward to having more sparring sessions with you in the future."

Ichigo's jaw dropped. "What do you mean 'more'?"

Erza was about to answer him but Mira interrupted their conversation. "Hey guys! Would you like to go back to the Guild Hall and relax? The rest are already leaving. I can cook up something for you all if you'd like."

Ichigo and co accepted her gracious offer, eager to get some food and drink. Relaxation after a fight like that wouldn't hurt too. Plus he'd have to speak to Harribel later about the events that had just conspired.

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.- SS,MB -.-.-.-.-.-.** -

Soifon stalked through the Maggot's Nest. The click-clack of her shoes send shivers down the spines of the inmates that resided there, all knowing the wrath of Soifon and her detention unit. They retreated into the darkness, like shadows from an open fire. They weren't the only ones with shivers crawling down their spines though. Soifon herself had them, but not from fear. It was more of disgust.

She reached one of the most secluded and most secure areas in the Maggot's Nest, and she began the long walk down the shadowed hall. The jingle of the keys she kept in her hand notified the prisoner of her presence.

"My, my… Captain Soifon, come for a nice little chit chat and a tea party?"

The voice and way it was spoken made Soifon sick. Like a whispers of a slimy snake, whispers that would lead you to an impending doom if you were to listen.

"Keep your mouth shut. The Head Captain has ordered for your release on a number of conditions. If you are to accept, you shall be released and reinstated as a member of the Soul Society. But should you refuse, you shall be kept here until you rot away." Soifon barked at the prisoner.

The sound of chains moving signified the movement in the prisoner's limbs. His attention was piqued. He shuffled off his bed, and moved slowly to grab onto the prison bar, his wrists and ankles bound with Seki Seki.

"Released and reinstated you say? Now you interest me little bee. Do tell me your conditions." A creepy grin stretched across his face, his eyes still almost closed in his signature fashion.

Soifon stepped back a little. "Sit down and listen to my conditions. If you do not cooperate with my orders, you might never get out of here, Gin Ichimaru."

Gin sat back down, still retaining his grin.

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.- SS,MB -.-.-.-.-.-**

Ichigo and company was filled to the brim with food. They returned to their guild hall after parting ways with the Fairy Tail group, mentioning their thanks for the wonderful food that Mira cooked for them. Even Orihime's bizarre cravings were satisfied by her cooking.

They entered the Guild, and were greeted by Urahara. "Ah welcome back you all!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the fake cheeriness. Kisuke walked towards them, picking Ichigo out of the group.

He pulled him to the side and leaned in. "I'm going for a guild master meeting at a city near here. I got some information from Yoruichi, there's going to be some mages that are going to try and kill the masters. I can't show off my powers just yet, so I need you to come and deal with them. Take whoever you need. Oh and a captain is going to come by when you're out."

Ichigo nodded, Kisuke was rarely this serious. He just didn't understand why he was so serious. A few nobody mages would be a piece of cake for him. And did he say Yoruichi?!

"Wait, Yoruichi is here?!" Ichigo was stunned. When had she gotten here? He felt fur rub along his shin. He looked down and saw the same black cat that made him chase it. "Wait… You're Yoruichi?!" He yelled.

The cat exploded into purple smoke, which cleared up and showed her in her birthday suit with a smirk on her face.

"Gah! Put on some damn clothes!" His beet-red face was turned away from the chocolate beauty.

"Haha, relax kid. Did you honestly think the fastest being alive wouldn't follow you through the portal without getting caught? And the redhead was a cutie, are you gonna go for her?" Yoruichi teased while putting on her signature orange jumpsuit.

"No! She's just a friend damn it! I'm done with you guys! I'm heading out to whatever city Kisuke asked me to." He stormed out of the Guild.

Kisuke yelled after him. "The place is at Clover city!"

A brief mumble of confirmation showed his understanding.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Ichigo made his way to the Fairy Tail guild. He entered and found Erza. "Hey Erza! Do you mind helping me by showing me the way to Clover city?" He asked her.

"Clover City? That's right next to where we're going. Jet came back with some news that a guild called Eisenwald is going to use Lullaby in a city near there." Erza was surprised that he was going near there. Perhaps he could help her out. "You may join us, we could always use extra help."

"Uh sure. Who is the 'we' anyway?" Ichigo questioned. Not that he wouldn't go if someone went, but he was curious what kind of firepower was tagging along.

Erza answered. "Gray, Natsu, and Lucy are coming along. If you want, we can set out now."

"Sounds good to me." Ichigo and Erza both set out of the guild, Erza in tow.

-.-.-.-.-.- SS,MB

 **[A/N] Ah this was quite a short chapter. We got though Natsu and Harribel's Fight, and now were moving into the Lullaby Arc.**

 **The chapter is honestly damn short today, so I promise the next one will be longer. Some of the reviews did say that they wanted to see Harribel beat Natsu's ass, which she did. So hope yall are happy about that.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: A good deal.**

Ichigo and Erza met up with their teammates at the train station, ready to set out. Ichigo still didn't quite believe that a suit case that size was necessary to bring along. According to Erza it was filled with extra weapons and armour and whatever else that she may need to use. He still wondered why she couldn't just make them disappear into her 'pocket dimension'. Apparently Ichigo wasn't the only was stunned and confused at the size of Erza's baggage, given Lucy's expression.

Erza managed to shove her belongings into the train, and beckoned the group to follow her into it. They all sat in the room. Ichigo, Gray, and Lucy on one side. Erza and Natsu on the other. Natsu's face was a dangerous green though, his cheeks were puffed out too. Ichigo was worried, "Hey, is your friend there gonna be okay?"

Erza turned to look at Natsu, "Yes he will be fine, do not worry. He just has severe motion sickness."

Gray snorted. "Haha, you'd think for all that boneheaded-ness he'd be too stupid to be sick. The big bad dragon slayer can't handle a train ride!"

As much as it wasn't appropriate, Ichigo found it amusing. For all the spunk and willingness to fight, he made for a sorry sight on some transportation. He found it slightly incredulous at the same time too. The guy got thrashed by Harribel and he still challenged her to another fight, but he gives up when he's on a train.

Natsu groans and moans started getting louder. Erza, being the great friend she is, implanted her fist into his stomach. He went unconscious, and his head fell into Erza's lap.

"A little bit too rough don't you think?" Ichigo commented.

"Not at all. It is to save him from his motion sickness after all. He doesn't mind." Erza put an armoured hand on top of Natsu's resting face. "Now, about the mission. There is a group of dark wizards, known as Eisenwald that are preparing to use a weapon called Lullaby on masses of innocent people. We must stop them before they do so. Lullaby takes the shape of a flute. It's rumoured to be something the black wizard Zeref created. Most of the Eisenwald members are nothing to be worried about, but there is one in particular named Erigor the Shinigami."

"Wait, did you say Shinigami?" Ichigo interrupted her. Could that be someone from the Soul Society?

"Yes, he is nicknamed the Shinigami because of his high preference for taking assassination missions." Erza looked disgusted at the thought of it.

Ichigo was intrigued. "Assassination missions huh?" The Omnitsukido and this guy would get along it seems. Ichigo was interesting in meeting this so-called Shinigami. It would be hilarious to see his reaction to a real one.

Lucy was creeped out by all this talk about death and death gods, so she tried to turn the conversation in another direction. "Erza, you never really explained your magic. What exactly does it do?"

Erza looked almost prideful that someone was interested in her magic. "My main form of magic is **Requip** magic. I store items like weapons and armour in pocket dimensions, which I can then reach into and pull out. Thankfully I mastered the art of being able to **Requip** the armour straight away onto my body or else it would be quite a slow procedure."

Lucy was impressed. "Wow that is quite an amazing magic to have. I'm sure all the different armours are beautiful too."

Happy added in his two-cent worth into the conversation. "Yep! Erza's magic is super pretty! She makes her enemy's blood fly everywhere!"

Ichigo deadpanned. 'And she finds killing to be disgusting…'

Erza at her core was still a humble lady though, so she directed the praise away from herself. "Oh no, if we're talking about beauty, Gray's magic certainly holds the title as being the most beautiful. Show them Gray."

Gray nodded and produced an ice figure in his palm of the Fairy Tail guild logo. It was a beautiful sculpture made of pure and clear ice that refracted the sun light shined onto it from the narrow creek in the curtains of the cabin. The elegant curves and sharp angles, combined with the smooth surface gave it the appearance of something that people would only see in painstakingly hand-crafted ice sculptures done by the masters of the olden times.

"That does look pretty." Ichigo told him. He wasn't much for finer articulation of his feelings in the form of words.

Lucy turned to look at Ichigo, "Well, that just leaves you doesn't it? What can you do?"

Ichigo didn't know what to tell her, should he tell her about his Shinigami powers? Hollow powers? Quincy powers? All of them? He settled on just explaining his situation at the brief moment. "Ah well, for the moment I'm using a whole new set of skills and power that I'm still learning. All the power and skill that I know already is currently unusable for a few reasons I'd rather not get into. The guild tattoo acts as a limiter as well."

This mystified Lucy. 'Just who the hell is this guy that his guild's tattoo has to have a built in limiter…? And who completely disregards their old powers and skills to learn a new one? If he's new to his power and has a limiter on and still could tie with Erza, just how strong is he when he's released and using his own strength?'

"That's really interesting… So you must be freakishly strong if you need a limiter right?" Lucy asked him.

Ichigo's humbler side wanted to disagree and say he wasn't that strong, his cockier side wanted to tell her 'Damn straight!' and his hollow wanted that option too it seems. " **C'mon King! Release the limiter and show a little strength, watch her piss her pants! Hahaha! Tell her how strong we (I) am!** "

He decided not to break the rules, who knows what kind of consequences it would have. He wasn't just about to finally let someone that acknowledged his strength go though. He chose to be cocky. "Heh, I'm amazing aren't I?"

Lucy sweatdropped. 'Amazingly cocky fits him better.'

The train grinded to a halt and according to Erza, it was their stop. "We have arrived, we will take the fight to them. We can't risk letting innocent people get hurt."

She pushed and shoved the group out of the train, despite some protest. Ichigo just walked out the instant she said it was their stop. "Alright! Now, let us stay in a group and storm their guild through the front door. I will take on their stronger mages all at once. Lucy you can handle the weaker fodder. Natsu and Gray, you two go for Erigor. Ichigo, provide back up for us in the event we need it. Does everyone underst-."

"Uh, where's that Natsu guy?" Ichigo asked, noticing the lack of a noisy pink haired troublemaker among the group. Erza's face paled.

"Oh no! We left Natsu on the train! That was such a foolish mistake of me, I knew he is weak on transportation but I did not oversee his being completely." She bent her head. "You may strike me for my negligence."

Ichigo was really, really, tempted. "Raise your damn head. We gotta get him back if he's that bad on transport."

Erza was struck with an idea.

-.-.-.-.-.- **SSMB-.-.-.-.-.-**

'Ugh… My head hurts… I think I'm about to puke…' Natsu covered his mouth with both hands, preventing the dam his lips formed from bursting, and unleashing the vomit unto the floor. He swallowed andleaned his head back onto the chair. The door to the cabin opened, and a shifty looking man entered. "Is this seat taken?"

A mumble from Natsu confirmed the seat's vacancy. The stranger sat down and dug into his magazine. "Ah how I wish those weak little fairy girls would just join our guild. It would be quite a fun time. What was that chick's name? Mirajane?" He took a peak at Natsu's shoulder and saw the Fairy Tail tattoo.

"Ah so you're also a weak little fairy aren't ya? Haha, fairy doesn't suit your group. Flies, now that's a name that suits you shits." He sent a kick into Natsu's stomach, making him almost lose the lunch that was already in his mouth. He pushed his foot into his chest, pushing him into the seat. "Not so tough without numbers are ya? You piece of shit fly!"

Kageyama was about to send another kick but he couldn't retract his leg, he looked own and saw Natsu holding onto it. Natsu's hand burst into flame.

"No one… Insults Fai... Ry Tail… And gets… away!" Natsu tugged on Kageyama's leg and pulled him toward his other fist that was accelerating at an alarming pace towards Kageyama's face. It connected with his cheek, and drove him to the floor. He was about to lose his balance from the motion sickness but luckily the train stopped. Natsu grinned. Kageyama fell from the abrupt stop, a wooden flute with a skull on the end that had three eyes.

Natsu pulled his fist back, and launched another punch at Kageyama. " **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!** " Kageyama was sent through the cabin door with a burn mark shaped like a fist on his cheek. The train began to move again though. And Natsu wasn't having any of that. He felt the tremors of the train's start up and he took the fastest way out. Which happened to be a window in the cabin.

He rocketed downwards like a comet. He noticed a car coming his way, on top of it, was Gray. He smashed his dense, iron-like head into Gray's body, ploughing through and making the both of them fly into a wall behind them. Natsu's head was buried into the dirt, and Gray was stuck inside the wall.

Natsu felt a hand on his collar pull him straight out of the ground. He shook the dust off his head and saw Ichigo walking over to Gray, grabbing hold of his pant leg and pulling him out of the wall as well.

"Why the hell did you ram into me you useless lighter?!" Gray yelled at Natsu the instant he could actually tell that it was Natsu.

"That was your own damn fault you stripper! Dodge next time you slow ass!" Natsu retaliated, blowing smoke from his nostrils.

Erza walked up to the two. "Enough of this tomfoolery! What on Earthland compelled you to jump out the window Natsu?"

Natsu stood ramrod straight. "My motion sickness really… And I was fighting this bastard! He kicked me when I was sick! I think he belonged to some dark guild since he knew I was from Fairy Tail and still attacked. Haha! I gave him a great ass beating! He dropped some freaky looking flute though. Three eyed skull… So when the train moved again I didn't want to feel sick again. So I jumped out the window!" Natsu said with a grin.

Ichigo gaped at the guy. 'He says stuff like that too damn casually…' His eyebrow rose when he thought back to what Natsu said though. 'Thr-.'

"Three-eyed Flute?!" Erza practically yelled as she slapped Natsu upside the head. "You fool! That was one of the members of Eisenwald! We have to get that flute no matter what!"

Ichigo cut in at this point. "Didn't you brief us after you knocked him out though?"

Erza's eyes widened and her cheeks had a light dusting of pink on them. She turned her face away. "Still, it does not forgive him for not beating him to show vengeance for sullying the Fairy Tail name."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, signature scowl and all. "Whatever you say. Let's just hurry up and hunt those guys down. Catch up quick." Ichigo sped away from the group using his enhanced movement.

Lucy asked in a nervous tone, "Did… Did he just say 'hunt those guys down'?"

Erza got into her seat in the magic wheeler. "I hope that's just his way of saying 'Let's beat them'"

Gray was slightly pessimistic though. "I don't think so…"

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-SSMB-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

Kageyama caught up to Erigor. He still had bruises and his clothes were still roughed up and singed at places. He took out the flute. "Erigor! I got you the flute!"

Erigor laughed at Kageyama's state. "What happened to you? Train blew up?"

Kageyama nervously gripped his neck. "Ah well no… You see I got into a fight with a Fairy Tail fly. I dropped the flute but I got it back."

Erigor was furious. "You let someone see it?! You dumbass!" He swung his scythe at Kageyama. The scythe sliced through Kageyama's ear tip.

Erigor held the flute tight. "With this… I'll have my revenge… You'll see."

 **-.-.-..-.-.-.-SSMB-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

Kisuke is a man of preparation. Keen awareness. Out manoeuvring. Out thinking. Out planning. But sometimes he could be caught off guard. Like this instant. When he heard a knocking at the guild's door. A gentle rapping. So gently it came tapping. But when he opened the door he saw no raven over his chamber door. He saw an ugly man with ridiculous facial hair.

And so now this 'Master Jose' has invited himself in with his group of lackeys, apparently having a proposition for Kisuke.

Jose took a sip of tea from his cup. "Ah you make good tea, Master Urahara. I will cut to the chase as I'm sure you are a very busy man. I have come to request your aid in helping me take down Fairy Tail. We can share the spot at the top as the two strongest in Magnolia, and even Fiore. You'd be rich. So would your members. I just need some of your guild members, preferable strong ones, to assist Gajeel here in destroying the Fairy Tail guild hall, and helping to destroy them in a fight."

Kisuke pondered over this request. He sipped his tea. "That is very interesting. What makes you think that I would help you though?"

Jose smiled. "News travels fast. And the news says that Fairy Tail has caused problems for you recently. In your own guild hall to boot! Pesky little cockroaches aren't they? Work with me and you'll never be bothered again."

Kisuke lowered his hat, shading his eyes. He smirked. "When you put it like that, I might just have to accept that offer. Strong guild members you say? I have a person that's just right for the job."

Kisuke turned his head upwards, towards the living area. "Grimmjow! Could you come here? These people have a job request for you!"

"Gah, what the fuck do you want bucket head?" Grimmjow lazily stretched as he entered the room.

Jose was a little put off by this. "One man? You think one man is capable enough to handle an attack on Fairy Tail."

"Hey! The fuck you tryna' say?! You calling me weak you little shit?!" Grimmjow's sword was in hand faster than anyone could react.

"You don't scare me bluenette. Gajeel, test him out and see if he's worthy."

Grimmjow's temper soared. Gajeel grinned, "My pleasure."

Gajeel sped up, closing the distance quickly. He launched a punch at Grimmjow's face. Grimmjow Just ducked and avoided it completely before kicking Gajeel in the chest, sending him flying away. For good measure he let a **Bala** loose at his airborne form. The hollow blast knocked Gajeel out of the building's wall. Gajeel came back with his iron skin already active. The Elemental Four were shocked and terrified. No one had forced Gajeel into using his **Iron Scales** this fast. Not even the master. And they sure as hell never saw Gajeel get smashed through a wall before.

Grimmjow was bored at this point. "Still got a little spunk in you huh? You certainly won't after this. Just die already. **Cero** "

He fired the red doom blast straight toward Gajeel. The vicinity around him was totalled. Grass dead, earth scorched, trees obliterated, ground cratered. Surprisingly, Gajeel was still standing and in one piece. Although he was bleeding from his forearms profusely after he tried to block the shot. The scales on his arms were all practically gone. The bits that were left clung to his skin like rotting flesh clings onto bone.

Jose and the Elemental Four were astonished and petrified. Kisuke broke the silence. "Don't kill him Grimmjow. And to you Master Jose, you have witnessed his strength. Would you accept the offer now?"

Jose turned his head quickly and nodded profusely. "Yes, yes, yes, I will gladly accept your offer. You won't regret this."

Kisuke grinned. "Good." He walked up to Grimmjow and put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him close. "Play along and make them attack us somehow. Taunt them, attack them, whatever. Don't kill anyone too. You do this and you can have a fight with Ichigo at full strength in Hueco Mundo." Kisuke then let Grimmjow go, pushing him towards Jose before walking off.

Grimmjow muttered under his breath. "Tch… Lousy cunt."

He looked at the group, and evidently they were afraid of him. "What tha' fuck are ya' starin' at?! Get your asses moving, I'll follow you to your stinking shithole guild. Try and be funny and I'll kill ya."

The group picked up their pace pretty damn fast, except for Juvia who was assisting the injured Gajeel to walk.

Grimmjow's smile couldn't get wider. "A fight with that orange fuck huh?"

-.-.-.-.-.-

[A/N] **Hey hey! New chapter. Slightly longer than the last. And a good intro to the Lullaby arc.**

 **Review response time!**

 **to Winged Serpent Of Light: Thanks! I will try my best to, but my schedule is getting increasingly stuffed T^T**

 **to Goost: For Toshiro, my preferred pairing for him is with Momo. And I havent really read too far into the Fairy Tail manga actually. So I didn't know that Makarov died T^T and without the manga, Erza still has plenty bullshit friendship moments. And yeah I would love to expand and delve deeper into the world, and create some aspects of it as I move along my story too. Ah the list is something I dont understand all that much since I dont read/watch onee piece. As for making the Fairy Tail characters and the villains stronger, I certainly will do. Wont really be much of a fun read if I just made Ichigo and company steamroll everything in the Fairy Tail universe.**

 **to Haremlover: I do think I have answered this question once before, but no. Levy will not be in Ichigo's harem. Mostly because it would be hard to fit her in and I love the GaLe pairing.**

 **to Lightblade49: Haha, Natsu isnt dumb. He's just not one to take a loss to heart. He and Luffy would certainly be best friends if they met on land. But something tells me that Natsu wouldn't enjoy the pirate life.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: An Impostor**

Erza finally came to a stop, halting the speeding vehicle when they arrived at Oshibana station. She shoved the door open and pulled the motion sick Natsu out as well. A good glance around the station showed signs of ruin in it. Rune Knights and guards scattered on the floor with injuries. The surrounding area was damaged and there was a lack of civilians. She spotted Ichigo leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed.

"'Bout damn time you guys got here. The whole place is trashed." Ichigo walked down to the group.

"We came here as fast as we could. Where are the Eisenwald members?" Erza demanded.

"No idea. I just checked up on all the bodies here. Some can be saved, the rest…" Ichigo trailed off, not wanting to speak what could be understood without speech. The group had a collective frown.

Erza steeled her gaze and stood upright. "We must stop them before anyone else is hurt. Let's check out the inside." She ran down towards the door. The group followed. Ichigo shok his head disapprovingly before catching up to them quickly.

Erza busted through the door with the group, only to be greeted by the sight of the entire Eisenwald guild staring at them menacingly.

"Welcome, Fairy Tail flies!" Erigor greeted them.

Erza clenched her fist, hard. "What do you think you're doing? Erigor the Shinigami?"

Ichigo practically busted out laughing then and there. That guy was the so-called Shinigami? This lanky, no reiatsu, sorry excuse for a cliché grim reaper Halloween costume? He was almost insulted. Well… a third of him was almost insulted. Man if the omnitsukido saw this guy…

"We are here to take our revenge. We have been shunned and out-casted by these disgusting excuses for 'light' guild masters. No longer shall we take this discrimination. As you all probably know by now. I have Lullaby! None can stop me now! What do you stupid flies think is in a train station? Broadcasting systems of course!" Erigor laughed.

"Hey! You're the guy that attacked me on the train! I'm gonna have some revenge for that!" Kageyama yelled at Natsu, whose arm was slung over Lucy as he was still out for the count from the car ride. Kageyama fired a projectile of shadow magic at Lucy. Natsu surprisingly caught it.

"Ah, your voice got me back into a fighting spirit. Thanks for that. Now I can really deliver you a solid ass kicking for insulting Fairy Tail!" Natsu's fists lit on fire.

Erigor spotted the orange haired team member though. "Hmm, you must be a new addition to those flies. Oh well, no matter. You are still going to die here anyways." Erigor flew off.

Erza scowled. "Natsu. Gray. You two go after Erigor. Ichigo, please support them. Lucy and I will stay here to deal with the grunts."

Ichigo shrugged. "Sure I guess. I'll make your job a little easier though."

Ichigo formed his bow and arrow. He pulled back the titanic arrow and aimed straight at the middle of the guild members. He let loose the huge arrow, impacting the ground and making it explode. Practically half the guild was out of the fight after that. "Don't take too long."

He, Natsu, and Gray sped after Erigor. Rayule and Kageyama silently followed the two.

"Now then, face your retribution Erisenwald! **Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armour** "

Erza switched armours into the one she used to fight against Ichigo. The guys in the guild had lecherous smiles. 'He demolished half the guild with no problem… I have to get stronger…'

" **Circle Sword! Dance my blades!** " She swung the sword in her arms downwards, unleashing the ring of blades at the remaining group. It took out a decent chunk of them. Not enough for Erza though. 'Only that few? How far is Fairy Tail in terms of power?'

Lucy pulled a key out of her ring. "I'll help out!" She summoned Cancer, the crab with a knack for barbering. "Cancer! Help out Erza!"

"Will do Ms. Lucy, ebi." He sped past many members slicing their weapons to useless things. And their hair. Leaving them bald and shiny.

"My hair!"

"My sword!"

Lucy smiled. "You did well Cancer! You can return now."

Erza was impressed. She took a step toward Lucy but she dropped down to one knee, her armour banging onto the pavement.

Lucy panicked. "Erza! Are you alright?!"

Erza pushed the helping hand away, opting to stand up shakily by herself. "I'm fine. The car took too much out of me. We just have to rely on the boys to save the day now."

Lucy nodded. "I hope they will be alright…"

Erza spotted a dark guild member that ran away earlier though. Looks like Lucy would have to chase them down… She was barely keeping her body up. "Lucy, I saw an Eisenwald member run away earlier. Could you and Happy go chase him down please? I will stay here to make sure these guys stay down."

Lucy was surprised she was given the responsibility, but she wouldn't let Erza down. "Sure thing! C'mon Happy, let's go!"

Happy and Lucy ran out the area and Erza finally let her strong façade down. She collapsed onto one knee, the metal armor clanging as her knee hit the ground. Erza was bent over, panting slightly. She could feel some sweat forming on her brow. "Damn… I really put too much into the car. Natsu, Gray, Icihgo… It's all up to you now."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Karacka ran away as fast as he could once he saw the transformation. His eyes weren't lying. That really was the Titania. 'They really brought along some heavy firepower for just one dark guild… Not to mention that orange haired guy. What the fuck is he?'

He heard thuds and shouts coming from nearby though. And it sounds like Rayule and Kageyama. His curiosity was peaked. Worst case scenario he could just ran again anyway. Best case scenario and he could get some revenge on the flies…

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Haha! The guild certainly has been quite busy." Makarov responded to the other guild masters.

"Your guild members sure are quite exceptional aren't they?"

Makarov chuckled. "Exceptional at destroying property and costing me tons? Yep!" He took a sip of his tea. "The girls in the guild are quite exceptional too. For different reasons obviously." He grinned perversely.

"Oh Maki-chan, you shouldn't talk about your own guild girls like that." Master Bob scolded.

A flutter of feathers signalled a bird entering through the window. It landed on the table with a sealed envelope in its yellow beak. " **Squak** A letter for Master Makarov!"

"Hmm?" a perplexed Makarov reached out and took the letter from the beak with the tips of his fingers, careful not to get too close to the bird's beak out of fear of being pecked. He opened the envelope and a small hologram of Mirajane appeared. He smiled. "Ah see, that's one of my guild's finest!"

"Oh she is quite the delicate beauty isn't she?" A bucket hat wearing guild master commented. "Her sweet look reminds me of someone from my own guild, Orihime."

"You'll have to introduce her to Fairy Tail next time then Master Urahara." Makarov smirked.

"I'll find a way." Kisuke grinned, both their faces had a dusting of red.

"Hello Master! I'm recording this to tell you that Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy are going on a job together!" The tiny hologram chirped.

Makarov's jaw almost hit the floor. He lost all colour in his face. It resembled a sheet of paper more than skin at this point. 'Those four… On a job… All together… Oh the horror…'

"Oh and I think Ichigo is joining them too! Erza mentioned his name but I wasn't listening well… Hehe sorry!"

Kisuke almost dropped his fan. He joined Makarov in skin tone. 'Why is he with them…? He was supposed to go solo… Now I'm liable to pay for a share of all the damages too…"

It was a sorry sight really, seeing two guild masters almost start sobbing from the worry of paying bills…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Erza made her way up to the balcony. She had to address the growing concerns of the people. As much as she hated to do so. She stepped out and saw the large crowd yelling and shouting, she took a deep breath and started her impromptu speech. "Attention citizens! Please leave immediately! We are facing a threat in this train station and they plan to use this station's broadcasting system to play a death song which will kill you if you hear it! Evacuate immediately in an orderly fashion at once if you do not wish to die!"

The part about 'orderly fashion' was promptly ignored, like it always is. The panicked crowd dispersed faster than cockroaches when you turn on a light.

She saw that the people left the station already and she was pleased. At least innocent civilians stood less chance of getting hurt now. But… was it getting breezier? The winds suddenly picked up pace. At first it was nothing more than a breeze, but now the wind was like a blade. Harsh winds blew all around the station. Erza had to squint her eyes to look out, and she saw a wall of wind. 'What the hell is that?'

The dome of slicing wind had covered the entirety of the train station, blocking anything anf anyone from entering or leaving. 'Gray! Natsu!'

-.-.-.-.-.-

Gray stood victoriously, looking at the frozen statue that was once Rayule. 'Dumb bastard trying to kill the master…' He looked out a hole in the wall that was made earlier, and sure enough, the wind wall was there. How the hell were they supposed to get past that now?

He heard Erza shouting earlier though. Perhaps she had a solution. He ran towards the last place he heard her voice, the balcony. Hopefully Natsu defeated his opponent too. Not that the dragon slayer would be much help in figuring out a way for them to get past. That would require him to use his brain for something other than fighting after all…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Natsu was getting sick and tired of this guy and his shadows. How hard was it to just stay down for the count? He appeared out of nowhere, perhaps a stray shadow nearby had allowed him the element of surprise. He wasn't even a strong fighter… He was just annoying. Fly this, fly that, legal guilds should perish, and the countless other delusional monologues had left Natsu bored and annoyed. Even his attack pattern was predictable. He'd try to engage in melee combat, which he would fail at, then back off and try to hit Natsu with shadows, which he failed at too. Natsu had tried to knock him out, but he just wouldn't stay down damn it. And he didn't want to accidentally kill the guy with too much power.

Natsu's acute sense of hearing alerted him to footsteps coming their way. He needn't worry though. He heard armour clanking, which signified the one and only Erza Scarlet. Which meant whoever was with her would probably be Gray. 'They both finished their fights just fine, that's good… Now if only this asshole could just stay down.'

Natsu figured he'd end the fight with more than enough force. Sure the guy might get permanent scars, but he wouldn't be dead. And Natsu already tried being nice. " **Fire Dragon's Roar!** "

Kageyama wasn't prepared for that kind of firepower. He was just getting used to the dragon slayer's attacks, but this one blew the rest out of the water. 'What the hell…?' He tried blocking it with his shadow magic, but the fire broke through the flimsy barrier and pushed him against the wall, almost knocking him out.

Natsu was about to send a fist into Kageyama's jaw but he stopped when he head Erza. "Natsu! Stop! Don't knock him out! He might be our only way out!"

Natsu let go of Kageyama's collar and let him sink to the floor. Kageyama chuckled. "What makes you think I'm gonna help you flies?"

Erza stomped over, unsheathing a sword and jammed it right next to Kageyama's neck into the wall behind him. "You will dispel the wind wall. If you do not, I will not hesitate to plunge my sword into your heart. Am I understood?" Of course, she wouldn't really do that. She had to get him to do it one way or the other though.

Kageyama gulped, "Sure… I'll do it."

Erza took her sword back, "Good." Kageyama was about to stand up, but Karacka appeared out of the wall brandishing a knife.

Before anyone could react, the knife was already plunged into Kageyama's chest.

Shock and horror painted itself across the faces of the onlookers and Karacka retracted the blade, and started to flee the scene. The shock and horror morphed itself into fury and anger. Even if they were dark guild members, that wasn't an excuse to stab a comrade. Natsu took the most offence with this issue.

He busted through the wall that Karacka fled through, and found the fat weasel desperately trying to phase through the next, but he was just too slow. Natsu caught onto his shirt and pulled him out and shoved him onto the ground. He started a mighty thrashing that consisted of furious punches and devastating elbows.

"That! Was! Your! Comrade!" Each word was punctuated by a strike, landing with keen precision onto Karacka's now bloodied face. The onslaught of blows only ended when Erza grabbed onto Natsu's fist as he pulled back.

Though Erza herself was mad, she wouldn't allow herself or anyone for that matter to go too far. Karacka was beaten unconscious, no reason to keep it up. "Stop Natsu. He's had enough. He's already been knocked out, you might kill him if it goes on. Kageyama's still alive but he's out for the count so we can't rely on him to lift the Wind Wall. Hopefully Ichigo got out before the wind wall was erected. Let's have faith in him stopping Erigor before anything happens."

Natsu jerked his arm back from Erza's grip, huffed a puff of smoke from his nostrils and walked off. He settled back near the injured Kageyama. Nearby footsteps and a flutter of wings alerted the group to Lucy's entrance. She first saw the frowning group, confused at their faces. Then she saw the injured dark guild members and she pieced the puzzle together.

"So can we get out of this place? Or are we stuck here?" Lucy asked, praying for the best yet expecting the worst.

Erza broke the news. "Sadly we're stuck here due to the wind wall. The dome is surrounding the entire station. The only one that made it past quick enough was Ichigo. I just hope he is able to take down Erigor."

"You sure do put a lot of faith in the guy Erza. Back in Galuna, and now." Gray commented offhandedly.

Erza kept a strong front. "He is reliable and strong. Of course I would place my faith in him. He has helped us before, and there is no reason he won't do it again."

Natsu spoke up, "Hey Luce, can't you just like, teleport us out like your spirits. You know, like you put us in the spirit world then summon us on the other side of the wall."

Lucy shook her head, "No I can't do that. The celestial realm is only meant for spirits. For normal humans to enter it would spell trouble. And besides, I don't even know if I can put you in there or summon you back."

Lucy brainstormed for a little bit, then she was struck by an idea. "Wait… Erza, you said it was a dome that covered the station right?"

Erza was perplexed by her sudden outburst, but it seems like she had a possible solution. "Yes, that's the nature of the spell. It creates a wall of wind by accelerating the wind around an area in a dome shape. Why?"

Lucy smiled ear to ear. "Because I have a spirit that can dig us a way out."

-.-.-.-.-

Grimmjow was utterly and thoroughly bored. 'These sacks of shit can't put up a fight at all… Not that I would know since most of them didn't _accept the fucking challenge!_ '

The instant he walked through the doors of the guild he situated himself in a cozy little booth with a chilled drink and issued a challenge to the guild members. All of which were none too happy that a random stranger just walked in as if he had some special entitlement. "Listen you weak little shits! I'm looking for anything strong to fight. If you can give me a good fight, I'll let you have this!" Grimmjow pulled out a sack filled with Jewel and put onto the table for grabs.

In an instant the entire guild was willing to fight with him, one poor sap even tried to punch him the instant he put the money down. A quick dodge and a back hand slap sent the guy through the walls of the guild.

The guild members all started pulling out weapons and had a hungry look in their eyes. They were all about to jump into a fight with the guy before Juvia stood in front all of them. She shouted, "Everyone stop! Juvia is warning you right now! You can't beat this guy!"

A few of the members took those words as an insult. "Eh?! Shut the fuck up you freaky rain woman! Move out the way so I can kill him!"

Juvia still tried to prevent them from attacking, and so did the rest of the elemental four. "Please stop trying! This man took out Gajeel in just a few seconds! Even with his Iron Skin!"

That dampened the morale of the group significantly. Gajeel was their guild's ace, and strongest member. And this guy took him out in a few seconds… What kind of monster did Jose bring back this time?

"How do we know you're not lying huh?"

Jose walked down the stairs from the second floor. "You're welcome to try if you'd like. Any deaths that occur will not be anyone's fault but your own. But be warned, what Juvia has said is the truth. Just look at the sorry state Gajeel is in now. Oh and if you do die, please do it outside, I do not want your blood staining the walls and floor of this marvellous guild."

The silence was deafening… Chills went down everyone's spine. Any man that would walk into a guild so brazenly with such a cocky proposal was either a fool or a monster. Grimmjow was a good mix of both, but the group didn't really know that of course. Still that didn't stop a brave few from trying.

Apparently no one taught them the difference between courage and stupidity though. Getting limbs sliced off and body parts burnt to a crisp was the harsh lesson they had to unfortunately learn at the hands of the sixth Espada.

The infirmary for the guild was quite busy that day. Resentment among the guild members for the Espada sky rocketed that day. And a gut feeling told the members that it would get much worse.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Erigor was quite satisfied at the turn of events. The flies were trapped in the train station and he had a clear path to the guild masters. The flute was safely tucked into his clothes as he flew over. The menacing scythe glimmered under the sun light. The blade dragged in the air, ready to be swung. 'Haha! Those stupid little fairies can't stop me from killing their guild master now! With this flute, I'm going to rule this damn world!'

A slight swish in the air caused him to look back. 'That's strange, that almost sounded like someone travelling in the air… Like I do… No, no, it must be my excitement playing tricks on me. I can't wait to use this little thing on those old geezers.' He grinned and looked back forward only to see a foot impact into his head.

He was sent plummeting straight down, causing the ground around him to crack slightly. Dazed, but still functioning, he looked up to see who attacked him. He saw an orange mop of hair.

"Hello there 'Shinigami'" greeted Ichigo, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Who the fuck are you?" Erigor responded angrily. His head hurt damn it!

Ichigo materialized his bow. "A substitute. And a lieutenant. You're lucky I didn't put too much force into that kick."

Erigor was pissed. "You mocking me you little fly?! I'll kill you!" Erigor flew at Ichigo in a burst of speed, swinging his scythe at Ichigo's neck.

Ichigo dodged easily, and pulled an arrow back. "You're welcome to try."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 **[A/N] Cliffhanger! Haha! Sorry folks c:**

 **We're fully into the lullaby arc now, and a little bit on the phantom arc. Things are gonna get more interesting now. Oh and if anyone could helpfully dispense some advice and wisdom on how to write better, be it fight scenes, character development, word count, descriptions, or romance build up, I would greatly appreciate it. After some rereading and comparison of my work to some of the best in the site, I find myself to be too mediocre for my own liking and I'd like to improve it in any way possible.**

 **Some review reviewing to be done~**

 **To Goost: Haha, no worries. I don't really mind spoilers. I hope this chapter was more interesting than the last. Glad you like my pairing for Toshiro. I never really understood the whole Karin thing. For a few reasons really. I don't think Ichigo would allow it, he's a captain that has known her for a solid few hours, and he grew up with Momo. And yeah I am pretty ignorant when it comes down to the Alvarez arc, since I haven't started it :p There's just something about Fairy Tail after the Grand Magic Games that repelled me away from it, whether it be Erza's budding relationship with Jellal or Natsu's with Lucy or the fact that the single strongest spell in Earthland is called Friendship, and it apparently obliterates everything in its path…**

 **As for this story and all my future and subsequent works, I will be working based off some skimming through of the manga/anime and a combination of the wiki articles. I will try and dedicate some time into reading the manga, but for my stories I would honestly prefer it if I could create my own story and twist the plot, instead of following the canon plot all the way. I tried doing it in this story as you can see, with Ur being brought back, Phantom Lord etc. Hopefully you and the other readers will enjoy a fresh twist on the plot.**

 **That being said I of course, won't be completely breaking the plot. I will still be following it, just in my own fashion I guess.**

 **-.-.-.**

 **To Redas: Thanks for the compliments!**

 **-.-.-.-.-**

 **To Winged Serpent Of Light – BOTM : I will! :D**

 **-.-.-.-**

 **To HaremLover: I never said Rukia wouldn't be in the story~ and I never said she would definitely be in it~ But as a pairing for Ichigo, sad to say, but both Rukia and Levy are out. And that's final. As a friendly brother-sister type of deal, yes. Romance? No. I don't mind entertaining the prospect of having certain characters like Flare, Cana, Ultear, Yoruichi, and the like being in Ichigo's harem, but for some characters, I won't. In this story, Levy is out of Ichigo's harem. Perhaps in some of my future stories, I'll have one of those, if not both be with him. Even though I am an IchiHime shipper, I don't mind writing an IchiRuki pairing.**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: That's it?!**

Ichigo let the arrow sail through the air, producing a sharp whistle. Erigor barely dodged the arrow, ducking to the side with sweat now starting to form on his brow. His grip on his scythe tightened until his knuckles were white.

Erigor looked up, ready to fly straight at the orange haired kid. He saw nothing but thin air though. He looked around, confused. 'Where the hell is he…?'

"Looking for me?"

Erigor heard the annoying fly's voice from above him. He panicked and swung wildly with his scythe upwards. His eyes widened and he was shocked into disbelief when he saw that his scythe was blocked by the upper tip of his bow. 'A damn bow blocked it?!'

Ichigo cocked his leg back, and like a projectile in a slingshot, he let his foot fly into Erigor's ribs before he could react. The kick definitely packed a wallop, sending Erigor plummeting downwards onto the bridge.

Erigor got up slowly, nursing his bruised and maybe broken ribs. He gritted his teeth and prepared a spell. " **Storm Shred!** " He shot deadly projectiles of wind at Ichigo, which forced Ichigo to respond by dodging to the right and shooting an arrow at Erigor.

Erigor blocked the arrow with his scythe blade, and flew up. He threw out another spell " **Magic Wind Palm!** "

Ichigo was starting to get bored. 'He's so slow… I might not be able to move as fast, but my reaction time is still there… Should I give myself a handicap?' He dashed to the right with a look on his face that resembled a blank slate. He picked his nose and stared straight at Erigor "Could you do me a favour and be a little faster?"

A vein almost burst in Erigor's temple. "I'll show you faster you cocky little shit! **Emera Baram!** "

An X shaped projectile shot through the air, ready to slice Ichigo into bits. "Try surviving that you damn fly! Hahaha!"

Ichigo pulled back a much more powerful arrow than usual and let it fly. It smashed straight through the **Emera Baram** and struck Erigor in the shoulder, making him cry out in pain. Ichigo disappeared from his sight before he felt a punch connect to the back of his head, making him fall out of the air. He hit the ground. Hard.

"You know, I expected a lot more from someone with the nickname Shinigami. At the rate you're going, I'm beginning to think you made them laugh to death." Ichigo taunted from up above.

"Shut the hell up! I'm going to fucking murder you!" Erigor pulled himself up, still seeing a slight double of Ichigo. The last hit rattled him a little. " **Storm Mail!** "

The surrounding wind wrapped around Erigor protectively, ensuring his safety in its embrace. "You can't touch me now you ant!"

"Good, I like a challenge." Ichigo still wasn't taking him seriously, and it made Erigor more pissed than he ever was at the guild masters.

Erigor send out a flurry of spells, sure in his abilities to carve the orange haired fly into bits of meat. " **Emera Baram! Storm Shred! Magic Wind Palm! Storm Bringer!** "

He was panting when he was done casting magic, but he still wasn't done attacking. While he still had the wind around him, he flew through the air into the cloud of smoke that enveloped the area he blasted with magic. He clenched his fist and sent a punch in the direction he knew that Ichigo would be.

Colour drained completely from his face when he felt Ichigo's hand wrap around his knuckles, completely stopping him.

Ichigo had scratches and cuts all over his forearms, but otherwise he was unharmed. Erigor was stunned. 'He blocked all that with his forearms?!'

"Nice breeze." Commented Ichigo, before he uppercut Erigor in the gut, making his double over. Ichigo kneed his face, breaking his nose and making his head stick up like a sore thumb before delivering a spinning hook kick into Erigor's jaw, launching him to the left. While he was still rattled, Ichigo sent a nasty elbow into the back of Erigor's skull, knocking him out. His comatose form slumped to the ground, the flute that was in his robes rolled out and stopped at Ichigo's feet.

Ichigo picked it up and inspected it thoroughly. 'Looks weird… Who the hell designs these kinda things?' Then his thoughts were replaced with the images of Mayuri and Kisuke and he shuddered. 'Never mind…'

He pocketed it into his white coat, much like how Erigor did. He was prepared to head out towards the masters conference to give Kisuke the flute, but he heard the voices of the Fairy Tail group calling to him as they caught up to him.

"Oi! Carrot-top!"

"Ichigo!"

"Ichigo-san!"

A vein popped out in his forehead when he heard 'carrot-top'. From the voice it sounded like it was Natsu. He cracked his knuckles.

The Fairy Tail group were running towards Ichigo, wondering why he suddenly turned and stared at them. But he suddenly disappeared in a flash. The Fairy Tail group was at a loss, then they heard a painful yelp and a loud thud. They turned around to see Ichigo standing over Natsu's prone form rubbing his head, with his fist clenched hard. "Who the hell are ya calling carrot-top you damn rosette!"

Natsu stood up and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oh you heard that? I mean I didn- Hey! Who the hell are you calling rosette! Its salmon damn it! You picking a fight with me?!" Natsu took a fighting stance, fists rearing and ready to pummel someone.

He got slapped down back to the ground by a metal gauntlet. "Stop picking fights with Ichigo, you can't win." Erza scolded.

Natsu grumbled and cursed under his breath, rubbing the sore spot that got hit twice now.

Unfortunately Erza had an oddly acute sense of hearing when it came to Natsu. "What was that Natsu?!"

Natsu bolted upright, saluting like a foot soldier caught slacking off by his superior. "Nothing Ma'am!"

Erza nodded, satisfied with his performance. "Good. Now let's head to the master's conference, we must inform him at once about what had transpired."

The group set off, Erza in the lead, marching forth proudly while dragging Natsu by the ear. Gray, Lucy, Happy and Ichigo sweatdropped as they followed the uncanny pair of mages.

Kageyama watched from the shadows nearby. 'Damn… That orange mop has it… No way I can do anything with it now… shit…' He turned around, wanting to flee but almost choked on his spit in surprise when he saw several rune knights already surrounding his position. One of them stepped forward and clamped some cuffs onto his wrists and began dragging him away.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

'Taunting and beating down these guys is something I sure could get used to…' Grimmjow thought idly as he enjoyed a blueberry shake from the comfort of his booth as he swung his legs onto the table and watched the guild. 'Makes me feel like a king'

His time in the guild had been short but impactful. The first few minutes of his arrival had the entire guild sans Jose hating him with all their might. He laughed it off and continued pummelling anyone that tried to fight him.

'That Jose is a tough nut to crack though… Seems like nothing I do to these shits will get him to hate me… And I _really_ want that sparring match. So help me if he's the only thing stopping me from getting it. What's his problem with Fairy Tail anyway? They beat his ass sore before? Wait… That's it!'

Grimmjow smirked, setting down his drink and taking a walk up to Jose's office, swagger in every step. He kicked open the door, shocking Jose before he took the seat he was never offered.

Jose looked up from some paperwork and eyed Grimmjow curiously. "What brings you into my office Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow picked his teeth with his pinky nail. "Nothing much, few questions is all. Why don't you give a shit what I do to your members? Why do you have a problem with Fairy Tail?"

Jose took and deep breath and let out a sigh, before he put down the pen he was using and focused his gaze onto Grimmjow. "I honestly couldn't give less of a damn what happens to my members, as long as we are on the top. And in order to reach the top, we need to destroy Fairy Tail. You are assisting with that, and you are pivotal to the operation. The other members are not, therefore they are useless and expendable in my eyes."

He looked out the window as he answered the second question. "As for why we hate Fairy Tail, well… They are our biggest competitor that much should be obvious. Before I even became a guild master, I looked up to Fairy Tail in a sense, because they were the strongest. Unbeatable. Until I found out what a mockery of strength they show. Goofy antics and this disgusting thought of friendship triumphing over power. After that I swore that Phantom Lord would take the place as the top guild and show the rest how a guild should be run. Friendship is nothing compared to power."

Jose heard a slight snore and he snapped his head back to see that Grimmjow's head was lulled back and a little drool escaped the corner of his lips. 'That idiot fell asleep?!'

"Oi!"

Grimmjow woke up suddenly, spluttering a little. "Wha- who- Oh it's just you…"

Jose's eyebrow was twitching hard. "So do you understand now why I hate Fairy Tail to the core."

Grimmjow dug his ear with his pinky. "Kinda? Honestly it just sounds like you were a weak little shit and didn't know how Fairy Tail got so strong, so you made up and excuse and said it was their friendship."

Jose's expression turned dangerous. Sharp eyes and furrowed brows stared straight into Grimmjow's uncaring and wild ones. "What was that? Did you call me weak?"

"You deaf or something? You're weak as shit. If you were anything near strong, you would have destroyed Fairy Tail by now. Save the melodrama and edginess as an excuse for someone that gives a fuck. You're just weak and jealous. That just about sums it up."

Jose was rumbling with rage at the moment. "Why you… What about you? Are you even the strongest?"

Grimmjow grinned a little. "Fuck yeah I'm the strongest. Everyone else in that guild might as well be cannon fodder."

Jose smirked darkly. "Very well. From this moment on, consider our agreement broken."

"Heh whatever mustachio, good luck killing anything with this weak little guild you have." Grimmjow opened up the nearest window and sonido'ed his way out and back to the Fairy Tail guild.

Jose yelled, "Gajeel!"

Gajeel appeared at his door near instantaneously. "Yeah Master?"

Jose stared back over his shoulder. "Cancel the plans to attack Fairy Tail for the time being. We got a different target now. Mobilise the guild and get prepared to attack the Soul Society, Magnolia Branch."

Gajeel smiled, 'time for some revenge.' "Gotcha." He left, barking orders out to the guild,

Jose turned back to look out the window that Grimmjow left from. 'I will show you who's weak. That guild of yours will be annihilated.'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chains clanked and jingled as Gin was being escorted into the squad one barracks. He had accepted Soi Fon's offer. Any chance to get back into the groove of things was once he would take. 'Although, are the SekiSeki cuffs and chains really that necessary? And it wouldn't hurt to have let me change beforehand…'

Gin looked down at his tattered and dirty robe they had given him during his stay in the Maggot's Nest. He frowned a little. 'Rose is now captain of the third. Kira is still lieutenant. So what the hell do they want me to do?'

They reached their destination, the big and heavy red doors of the entrance to the meeting room held in the squad one barracks. Just like his first time here, he still have the same thoughts as always. 'I still wonder how many times they have to repaint that door every year…'

He pushed though the heavy doors and was greeted to the sight of his past colleagues seated in a neat semicircle of ranging height. The general atmosphere was tense, but then again, with Gin involved it was usually that way. The faces on the captains in the room were less than welcoming. "Aw, what's with all the stony faces? Ain't ya happy to see me again?"

"Enough of your nonsense Gin Ichimaru, be seated so this meeting can commence!" boomed the head captain, losing his patience with the ex-captain as fast as a colander loses water.

"Sheesh, tough crowd as always… Has old age got ya grumpier head cap'n?" Gin took his seat quickly and shut his mouth when he noticed a steep increase in temperature.

"You are here for one reason and one reason only Gin Ichimaru. As you had tried to work as a double agent against Aizen, you have not received the death penalty. But your actions still warranted the need for punishment. You have been sentenced to the Maggot's nest for one and a half millennia. However, due to recent discoveries, you may prove your usefulness to the Soul Society once more and have your sentence revoked. To fill you in, recently a new dimension has been discovered. In it is a whole new world of unexplored people and power. This is where you play your part. You shall be stationed as a captain there instead of the Soul Society. Your only superior there shall be Kisuke Urahara, the equivalent of head captain in that world. Your equal there will be any other captains stationed there in the future, as well as Kisuke Urahara's lieutenant. You may travel in between the Soul Society and the new dimensions on off days. Do you accept this offer?"

Gin was surprised. And grateful. Not that he would show it. 'Besides, it's a good way to start seeing Rangiku again. Plus I never thanked the kid for getting rid of Aizen, and his little girlfriend for healing me… And bucket hat got himself a lieutenant? Sure brings back memories of him and Sarugaki… I wonder who it is."

"I accept your offer Head Captain. Before I go, may I ask who exactly Kisuke Urahara's lieutenant is?"

Shinsui answered the question with a hint of glee. "Why, Ichigo Kurosaki of course!"

Gin's grin grew ten times larger.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-

The group of five people and one flying cat reached the master's conference with impeccable timing. The conference had just ended and all the masters were slowly strolling out the doors. Kisuke and Makarov seemed to be hitting it off well, as they both strolled lazily side by side sharing their jokes.

"Oi Hat-and-clogs!" Ichigo shouted.

Kisuke stopped dead in his tracks. Eyes wide. 'That meeting must have been more boring than I thought… I'm starting to hear voices… But why would I hear Kurosaki? Why not someone like that Mira girl Makarov talked about…' He pouted, bummed that his the first voice he heard as he started going mad wasn't a cute girl's one.

"Would you pay attention?!" Ichigo punched Kisuke's cheek, carrying through the momentum from his run here.

Kisuke went flying into a nearby wall comically, arms and legs flailing.

Kisuke pulled himself out and dusted himself off. "Ah it was actually you Kurosaki-san. Here I thought I was starting to hear voices."

Ichigo gained a tick mark. He grabbed the flute out of his pocket and shoved it into Kisuke's hands. "The dark guild you were talking about is dealt with. They had this on them. Apparently it's some death magic thing."

Kisuke rolled the flute in his hands a couple time and inspected it under the sun light. "Hmm. There is a seal on this thing, that much I'm certain. What it does when it breaks? I have no clue. Perhaps I should run a few tests on it?"

Makarov appeared next to Kisuke, adding in his own bit of advice. "Master Urahara, I'd advise you against it. If I'm not mistaken, that is Lullaby. The demon flute created by the dark mage Zeref himself. Anything pertaining to him is just bad news. Best way to approach it would be to give it to the council and let them seal it away."

" **Not again!** "

Everyone stared down at the flute as its eyes seemed to take a purple glow. The wood started to grow and splinter. Wooden appendages took the mantle of limbs and slowly, a giant humanoid wood demon had spawned. " **You puny humans! I shall not be sealed by your kind again! Those fools couldn't use me worth shit, I'll just kill you all and eat your souls myself!** "

Urahara's previously uncaring and gentle eyes had narrowed into a killer's eyes. He unsheathed his sword, and the rest of the mages started preparing magic. "Kurosaki-san, you heard what it just said didn't you? Something about eating souls right?"

Ichigo nocked an arrow. "Loud and clear."

"I see," Urahara prepared a Kido spell. "Use Zangetsu and take it down in one hit, I'll help you out a little first. Release yourself."

Ichigo nodded and dissipated his bow and arrow. 'Sorry Ossan, but I gotta put you aside for now. Gotta use Zangetsu for this.'

"It is quite alright Ichigo. I understand. Finish it fast."

" **Hell fucking yeah! We finally get to cut and kill something king! Come on! Release! Unleash me! Do it!** "

'Could you shut up a moment?'

" **Do it!** "

Ichigo concentrated his spiritual pressure into his limiter, and the rhombus around the symbol on his tattoo disappeared. He pulled out the two parts of Zangetsu. His swords. His partner. A part of him. And damn it felt good to use it again. 'No offence Ossan…'

"None taken, although I _will_ make sure you feel the same about the Quincy side of yourself by the time I'm done."

'Fine by me.'

The surrounding allies looked on with shock in their faces. Before they were all suddenly forced down onto their knees. 'What is this?!'

The power the exuded from Ichigo suddenly intensified so much. The difference was staggering. It was like getting splashed with water one second then getting hit with a tsunami the next.

The Fairy Tail group struggled to raise their heads, and they saw that the masters had some difficulty being under the pressure as well. Admittedly they were handling themselves rather well.

" **Do you think you scare me you puny weakling? Take your best shot!** " taunted the demon.

Kisuke smirked. " **Hado #61: Raikoho!** " Kisuke sent a blast of electric energy into the demon, punching a hole straight through the demon's chest.

The demon's eyes bulged as it took a step back. Staggered at feeling of this foreign power that just assaulted him. It was like poison. It didn't feel like magic in the slightest. 'What is this?!'

Lullaby didn't get much time to ponder though as he saw a blue light starting to shine. He looked over and saw the orange haired human charging up his blade into a blue colour, like a shining sapphire.

" **Getsuga Tensho!** " Ichigo let the attack go, watching it as it sliced through the air. And Lullaby. The upper half of Lullaby's bisected body didn't even get a chance to speak before both parts and the surrounding area exploded. Ichigo put his limiter back on and sheathed Zangetsu. His ear was assaulted by his sword though.

" **What the fuck?! That's all?! Big bad monster and he only took one half assed Getsuga Tensho?! King I want more damn it! Find some pieces to chop up! I waiting so long just for this?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"**

Ichigo shut out the complaining, dreading the next time he sets foot into his inner world.

After the plume of debris and smoke settled, everyone except Kisuke and Ichigo gaped at the sight. The land was scarred beyond compare. A crater now existed where the conference hall was and it stretched out far. Really far. And really deep.

Makarov's jaw was on the floor. 'Thank heavens I don't have this kid in the guild… He'd rack up a bill larger than what the guild earns in a year, in a day…'

Then Kisuke realized that he'd be paying the bill. Well, it's not really him, but he'd still have to ask the head captain for funding. 'Ichigo you idiot!' He almost fainted.

Natsu now looked at Ichigo with a sort of admiration in his eyes. Even he had trouble doing that much damage alone. Ichigo was strong. He'd work hard towards beating him that's for sure.

Gray's jaw hung open much like Lucy and Happy. They all had the same thought. 'Crazy bastard!'

Erza looked on with new respect. 'He truly is a swordsman worth noting. His skill with his sword is something I admire… And that sword… Where can I get myself one?'

They heard rune knights marching towards their location, and it certainly wouldn't be good if they found out. The guild masters also realized something as well. Their only source of peace and quiet was now gone.

"Get them!"

Kisuke face palmed. Ichigo rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Oops…" He saw the guildmasters running at him full speed, so he took the clue and grabbed bolted.

Kisuke sighed and followed him back to their guild.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 **[A/N] Greetings! A new update! Huzzah! And at last, the Lulalby arc is finished. Now we can start heading into more juicy arcs, like the Phantom Lord arc and beyond. Kudos to anyone that figured out that Gin would be the captain that coming in to the guild as mentioned by the head captain.**

 **It's gonna be fun writing Gin and Kisuke's joint efforts in making sure Ichigo's relationship(s) succeed.**

 **Review replying ~**

 **To HaremLover: Sorry to crush your dreams "o.o"**

 **To animeloverhomura: Haha, glad you liked it! I didn't paln for that actually, sorta just came naturally as I wrote.**

 **To Matemeo3: Right!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: A Whole New World**

Ichigo entered through the doors of the guild, relaxed in his stance; scowl on his face. He was bickering with his captain and guild master: Urahara.

"Gah, it's just a little property damage. Why are you so uptight about it?"

Urahara felt like smacking him over the head with a folded fan. "Because I have to ask the head captain for money! And it was unnecessary!"

"Well I had to kill the damn thing quick didn't I?!"

"No one asked you to kill the conference building!"

"… That's just a little collateral damage."

Kisuke face-palmed. With a heavy sigh he rubbed his hand off his face. "It's coming out of your pay check."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have payed me either way." Ichigo scoffed.

"You're a rubbish lieutenant you know that? Oh and try not to kill our guest later." Kisuke made his way into his office.

Ichigo snorted, unwilling to bicker further. 'Guest? Who the hell can that be?' He sat himself down on a table and sighed. Realization struck him though as his mind drifted to his sisters. 'I haven't visited!'

"Ah shit… Yuzu's gonna nag me forever when I go back…"

Ichigo felt long slender arms drape themselves over his chest as a weight leaned itself onto his back, he heard a whisper in his ear. "Aw, feeling homesick are you?"

He jumped. He swirled around faster than a tornado; face beet red. He was treated to the sight of Yoruichi laughing her lungs out, slapping her knee and pointing at his face.

"You goddamn…" Ichigo didn't finish. He didn't want to receive a beating after all. He still remembered the last time he cussed out Yoruichi. He just pinched the bridge of his nose. "What do you want Yoruichi?"

The mocha skinned speedster just chuckled and grinned. "I don't want anything my dear student. You're just too fun to tease. Anyways I heard what you said, missing home?"

"Sorta, I promised I'd visit Yuzu and Karin."

Yoruicihi opened a can of soft drink. "Well if you promised, then you have no choice now do you? What's keeping you back?"

"Nothing's keeping me back, I just don't wanna get nagged at… And I don't wanna see the old goat. God knows what he's gonna do. I do miss Yuzu's cooking though." Ichigo looked out the window wistfully.

Yoruichi eyed her student for a bit, before smirking. "Just go and visit them, I'm sure they miss their brother. Besides it would be a great opportunity for you to bring along Harribel."

Ichigo was confused. "Harribel? Why? She's doesn't know anyone in the living world."

"Correction! She doesn't know anyone in the living world and she knows barely anything about the living world itself! So it'd be a great learning experience for her if you let her tag along." Yoruichi was adamant about this. 'Poor girl doesn't know anything out of battle, war, and Hueco Mundo…'

"You're not gonna let me out of this are you?" Ichigo stared straight into the bright cat like eyes of Yoruichi. They stared back at his, challenging him. "Gah, fine. I'll take her along with me next time."

"Atta boy! Oh and a bit of advice. Don't be too surprised later." Yoruichi slapped his back, before disappearing in a flash.

Ichigo almost spat his drink out at the hard slap he got. He looked up and scowled, noticing she wasn't there anymore. He heard footsteps coming from upstairs. 'Don't be too surprised? What's that supposed to mean?'

"Oh Kurosaki-kun! You're back! How'd it go?" Orihime skipped down the steps to greet her crush. She bounced happily to him.

"Oh hey Inoue. It went fine. Nothing too dangerous, just a demon is all. Thing died to one Getsuga, but my payed gonna be docked for a while though."

Orihime gained a serious glint in her eye before she inspected Ichigo head to toe.

"Uh Inoue, what are you doing?"

Orihime ignored his question, finishing up her inspection, she nodded and looked up to Ichigo and smiled. "I'm just making sure you're okay Kurosaki-kun. You did fight a demon after all. I don't know how strong it was, but it never hurts to check."

Ichigo's hard scowl softened as he stared into Orihime's eyes. "I'm fine, don't worry about me too much. Where are the others by the way?"

Orihime put a finger to her lip as she gazed upwards in an adorable thinking gesture. "Nel and Harribel should be in their rooms. Ishida and Chad went out to get some stuff for the guild. I think Chad is getting hardware material and Ishida is getting groceries."

"You know, now that there isn't a sudden job to do, wanna come with me to the Fairy Tail guild? We still haven't checked up on Gray's teacher yet."

Orihime smiled brightly. "Sure thing! I've been worried for her ever since you brought her here."

Ichigo chuckled slightly before starting to make his way toward the door. "I wouldn't worry if I were you. I have faith in your abilities."

Orihime stopped in her tracks and smiled, her face red as a strawberry. She squealed internally before slapping her own cheeks lightly. She grinned and ran up to join Ichigo at his side.

They almost set a foot out the door before they heard someone call out to them. "Eh, you two are gonna leave without little old me? What if I get lonely in this big guild all alone?"

Ichigo already had his two swords drawn in attack stance at hearing Gin's voice. He'd seen Gin's betrayal of Aizen, but that didn't mean he completely trusted him. "What are you doing here?"

Gin held his hands up in a mocking gesture of innocence. "See my coat kiddo? The old geezer put me in the captain's spot again. Although, I've been assigned as a captain here instead… Nice to see you too by the way, you'll have to fill in the details of your fight with Aizen to me." He extended his hand toward the direction of Ichigo. "New beginning partner?"

Ichigo shook his hand hesitantly. "Partner?"

Gin opened one eye slightly. "Oh, you didn't know? You're Kisuke's lieutenant, and he's the head captain of this branch. Making you captain level in authority. So I'll say it once more, good to meet you, partner."

"Yeah… Sure… And what did you mean by alone? There's plenty of people in this guild for you to fuck around with."

Gin feigned emotional hurt, putting on a sad face and covering his eyes with the back of his hand. "Your words hurt me so! My intentions are not evil! As for the rest… Well they ain't any fun." He took back his old stance and facial expression before staring down Ichigo. "So what or who is this Fairy Tail?"

Ichigo gulped slightly. Gin had no reservations about killing willy nilly. "A group of people we've met and allied ourselves with. Why?"

"No reason, just curious to know. Hey! I might just join y'all in meeting these so-called allies of ours! After all, I am a member of the guild now." Gin showed his right forearm bearing the mark of the guild, and limiter.

Ichigo face-palmed. "I assume we don't have much of a choice but to bring you along do we?"

"Nope!" Gin answered cheerily. He walked up behind Ichigo and slung an arm around his shoulder. "I'm looking forward to a nice friendship."

Ichigo pushed the arm of his shoulder. "I'm not, keep your creepiness to yourself."

Gin pouted childishly, "So cold… Hey girl, why do you look so scared?"

Ichigo looked to his side at Orihime, and true enough, she did look spooked. He positioned himself infront her, shielding her from Gin.

Orihime didn't want to look scared, but she didn't have much of a choice. Gin was naturally creepy. Plus it didn't help that he's seen him try and actively kill Ichigo on multiple occasions. She steeled her nerves and turned around; walking out the door. "I'm fine Kurosaki-kun, let's just get to the guild, I'm eager to see them again."

Ichigo sent a scowl Gin's way before following Orihime.

Gin just shrugged before following tailing the two.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ichigo knocked on Fairy Tail's doors. Just as last time, no one answered it. The muffled sounds of laughter and brawling could be heard from the other side of the door. Ichigo wanted to kick the door down then and there, but a little persuasion from Orihime made him try the gentler method of knocking again.

As the seconds passed, the scowl on Ichigo's face soured further and further. A comment from Gin made itself known. "Gee, quite an uncivilized bunch aren't they? Not opening their doors for us even after we knocked."

He mock-pouted. "Oh well, there's always a solution for it isn't there kid?" He turned his head toward Ichigo, grin present.

That was the last straw for Ichigo. He could handle Gin's creepiness and obnoxiousness. He could handle not being answered at the door. But _fuck_ if anyone's going to call him a kid. Especially Gin. 5

He walked up to the guild's doors and kicked it right open, the doors almost flew off its hinges. Creating a loud bang as it slammed against the walls. All eyes were on them, and some were not too friendly.

Natsu was creating a ruckus and brawling with his guild members, having a generally fun time before a jarring bang interrupted his fun. He looked over and saw _him_. The orange haired fighter that tied with Erza. He was gonna get his fight and he would get it soon… Now in fact.

"Hey! You got a problem with our doors?! You're lookin' for a fight aren't ya? C'mere!" Natsu jumped at Ichigo, not realizing Orihime and Gin standing next to him.

Time slowed in Ichigo's perspective. 'What the hell is that idiot doing?! Gin's gonna kill him!' Ichigo looked to the side, and sure enough the terrifying grin never left Gin's face. In fact, it looked like it grew in size and menace. He saw Gin unsheathe his sword and turned his waist slightly, so that the point of the blade was pointing at Natsu behind his captain's cloak.

In an effort to stop Gin from impaling his new friend, Ichigo tried to grab onto Gin's wrist, but it might have been too slow. "Wait, Gin! No!"

" **Shoot to ki-."**

"Natsu!" Erza's voice boomed from the other side of the guild. She had just walked out of the kitchen after finishing a few errands for Mira to help expedite the cooking process, only to see that Natsu was about to attack their new friends for seemingly no reason. And knowing Natsu, it was probably just for a fight anyway. "What are you doing?! You had better not be starting a fight with them!"

Natsu stopped in his tracks mid-air, something Ichigo hadn't seen before. Natsu stood ramrod straight. "No ma'am! I wasn't starting a fight! I was just greeting our new friends here! Right Happy?"

Happy who was innocently munching on some fish looked bewildered at Natsu, "Uh yeah… Natsu didn't do anything wrong Erza!"

Erza glared at Natsu before sighing and relenting. She walked forward to join Natsu by his side. "Hello Ichigo, Orihime, and…"

Erza looked at the third member of the squad and felt chills run down her spine. Something about him was just… off. And she was sure she had never seen his face before, not even when they had first almost got attacked in their guild. He must be a new member then.

Gin stepped forward and extended his hand in greeting, having already put his sword back into place. "Name's Gin girly. Nice to meet ya! I see you're a friend of Ichi-chan here." He put an arm around Ichigo's shoulders. "Although I would recommend as friends you don't just try fighting him the moment you see him ya know. That kinda attitude will land ya in a world of hurt one day."

The joking tone of voice and light hearted way it was said did not alleviate the tension Erza felt. Something about the man just reeked of danger. It was as if she were standing in front of an unmoving snake, hesitant to take a step anywhere in the case she was bitten. His stance looked nonchalant but had no discernible openings and he had the aura of someone that would take the head of another in a split second without hesitation. She swallowed hard and tried her best to muster a strong look in her eyes. "I will properly teach Natsu some etiquette I promise you. And do not call me 'girly' please, my name is Erza Scarlet."

"Whatever ya say girly." Gin waved off her request.

Ichigo noticed that Gray and Lucy walking up towards them. Lucy was already sweating bullets. She'd seen Ichigo's new… acquaintance, and she wasn't exactly thrilled to meet him.

Erza cleared her throat and focused her attention towards Ichigo once more. "So, Ichigo, what brings you to the guild hall?"

Ichigo turned to look at her. "We're here to visit Gray's teacher if it's alright with you all."

Gray and Lucy both walked up just in time to hear that, and they were happy. Gray answered his question. "Sure, she'd love to see the people that saved her life after all. She's in the infirmary. She's recovering but she's conscious. C'mon, we'll bring you there." The whole group made their way past the guild members and into the infirmary. Gray and Erza both had the urge to ask Gin to stay outside, fearing for Ur's safety, but if he was Ichigo's fellow guild member, it would be unwise to treat him unkindly.

The group entered the medical room, the scent of fever medication sneaked into their nostrils. They saw Ur, now dressed in standard hospital gown, sitting up in her bed. A mug was seen in her hand, steaming. Tea most likely. The previously confused and lost eyes now had life and serenity in them.

She turned her hear toward the sound of the opening door and she saw her fellow guild members and the ones that supposedly saved her. Along with the silver haired man.

Gray called out to his teacher. "Hey Ur, Ichigo and friends are here to visit."

The name Ichigo reverberated in her mind. She'd heard it when she first woke up, and she heard from the rest that he's the one that saved her. By the look of things, she figured Ichigo was the one with orange hair. 'Orange? Unique…'

"Nice to finally meet you. I was wonderin' what my saviour looked like." Ur greeted with a grin.

"Ah, I wasn't really your saviour. Inoue here is the one that brought back your form. Thank her." Ichigo deflected her appreciation to the one he thought really deserved it.

"Eh? No, no, I didn't really do much… It was your idea to bring her to me. You should be taking the credit Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime was flustered, she spoke in quick stutters.

Ur noticed that the both of them had similar colour hair. They sure did act cute around each other too. 'Siblings? No… The way they act doesn't show that… Heh, they'd make a cute couple. And cute kids.'

"If you two are done flirting, I extend my thanks to the both of you. C'mere a sec' would you?" Ur gestured for them to stand by her.

The two of them were surprised at first, but they made their way to her. They each stood at her sides. Left and right.

They were even more surprised when Ur's surprisingly strong arms wrapped around their necks and pulled their heads to her bust. "Seriously, thank you both. If it wasn't for the two of you I would have never been able to see Gray again. The world. Magic. None of it. If you ever need anything from me… Just ask, alright?"

Orihime tried to deny it at first but a finger placed to her lips silenced her denials. She accepted the fact and hugged her back, closing her eyes and feeling the bond form.

Ichigo didn't handle it that well though. He tried to fight back against the iron grip of Gray's teacher, his face redder than a rose, the soft feeling of being pulled to her breasts had him flushed and embarrassed beyond belief. For an innocent looking woman, she had the grip of a gorilla. 'What the hell do they feed her?!'

Ur noticed his struggles. She was disappointed and slightly saddened at first, thinking that the Lieutenant didn't like her at all or wasn't comfortable to be hugged by her. But once she saw his face, her happiness boosted. "Aw… What's wrong Ichigo? It's just a hug, why are you so flushed?"

Erza and Orihime both frowned a little at his reddened face.

Ichigo still tried to pry himself away from Ur's venus hug trap. "Wha- I'm not… It's just…"

Ur giggled, before releasing the poor boy from her grasps. 'He's just so cute!' Her maternal instincts flared.

Ichigo tried to get himself back into his normal skin tone. He heard chuckling from the back of the room and he saw Gin trying his best to keep his composure. He was failing miserably though, evident from his shaking shoulders and hand covering his mouth.

The rest of the crew had a dead pan expression as they saw one of the strongest people they know practically get shut down from a hug.

Ur slunk back to the head board of her bed, resting her back against it and sighing softly. "So… You two saved me, but who's that?" She pointed toward Gin.

Ichigo answered the question for her. "He's a… guild member."

Ur eyed the orange haired boy. 'Unsure huh? Suspicious.'

"Hey ya, name's Gin." Gin bent to the side slightly and waved cheerily.

Ur's eyes betrayed her efforts to keep her distrust and dislike hidden. "Good to see you. New member?"

"Yup! Quite new."

Ur regarded him with cold eyes for a moment longer before putting her attention on the other two foreign guild members. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but what brings you two around here?"

Orihime piped up, "We came to check up on you; the last time we were here you weren't awake yet…"

"Aw, you two didn't have to do that for me… Besides I'm sure there's plenty of errands you have run being a new guild and all right?" Ur was flattered, but she didn't want to trouble the two.

"Nah, it's usually taken care of by the lower brass. It's quite boring really… just sitting around and doing nothing…" Ichigo answered.

"Oh hoh, 'lower brass'? You must be a big shot then huh?" Ur teased slightly.

Ichigo smirked, "You could say that."

"So what are ya? S-class? Ace? Or…" Ur gasped, "Master?"

Ichigo was tempted to say master but he was honest person after all. "S-Class probably best describes it…"

Natsu broke into the conversation. "Nuh uh, no way you're just S-class. When we were talking to your friends they said you were the strongest! They told me you're the ace!"

Ichigo scratched his head lightly, "What exactly is the ace?"

Everyone that belonged to Fairy Tail face palmed.

Ur decided to answer the poor boy's question. "The ace is typically the strongest out of all the mages in the guild sans the master. And is usually the one to handle and operate the guild in the absence of the master, or in more extreme cases they will take up the mantle of master."

Ichigo put on a thoughtful expression and hummed. "Yeah, sounds kinda like what I am... Guess I'm the ace of my guild then."

Ur smiled, "Ace huh? Must be pretty strong then right?"

Natsu broke in once again. "Hell yeah! He made Erza tie with him without even breaking a sweat! And he even killed a demon in one hit!"

Ur's smile shattered and alarm set in. "Demon?! Which one? And are you sure it's really dead?"

"Uh, the demon was called Lullaby I think… And I'm pretty sure it's dead. One attack from Ichigo and the thing v- va- vap-."

"It was vaporized." Erza helped Natsu.

"One attack?!" Ur practically screamed, her head whipped to the side and stared at the orange haired man in disbelief.

"Yeap! Everyone saw it! It was big, bright, and blue! It cut it into two before it exploded!" Happy popped up.

Ur felt her head spinning. 'No one could take down Deliora no matter what we threw at him and no matter how many people there were… And this guy took out a demon on his own in one attack?'

"Hey Ichigo, I want to ask you for a favour." Ur looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Uh sure, what do ya want?" Ichigo was confused, he barely knew the woman. What could she want him to do?

"I-I… Want to spar with you once I'm in good condition." Ur steadied her gaze and held strong.

Gray spat out the water he was drinking. "Are you crazy?! You just heard what he can do and you wanna fight the guy?! Did you accidentally get Natsu's brain or something? And why do you even want to fight him in the first place?!"

Ur took on a more serious note, "Gray, I was once your teacher and mentor. Don't think of me as some weak mage now that you're older or because I was out of it for a while. I want to spar with him to see the gap in our power that's all. It'll be a learning experience."

Ichigo sighed heavily. 'Why does everyone want to fight me? It's like highschool all over again.'

"Fine, I'll spar with you… But only when you're in top condition." Ichigo wasn't about to beat an injured woman senseless.

"Deal!" Ur grinned.

"No fair!" Cried out Natsu, "why does everyone get a fight with him but me? I want one too damn it…"

Erza laid a hand on his shoulder in a comforting fashion. "Perhaps once you're strong enough Natsu. You have seen what he's capable of doing. Use this as a motivator to strive for strength. I'm sure if you get stronger than me, then Ichigo would have no qualms about fighting you, right?" she looked toward Ichigo.

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Fine… I'll fight him when he's stronger than you."

"Ya know…"

All eyes turned to Gin. "I don't mind taking the brat on in a fight. What do ya say? It'll be fun!"

Natsu jumped for joy. "Hell ye-."

"Hell no!" Ichigo shouted.

"Eh?! Why?" Natsu asked, shocked by his genuine anger and outburst.

"You don't know him. He'll toy with you, bait you into attacking him with full force then he'll just kill you and say it was self-defence. I'm not going to allow anyone to fight him." Ichigo stated coldly.

Gin's grin was gone and his eyes were slightly open. "Yare, Yare… You've gone and become all mature kid… Ruining my fun and all. Tell me, when did ya stop being that naïve little boy that you were?"

Ichigo said nothing, keeping the scowl on his face.

"Was it finally getting the will to kill that shattered ya little world of innocence? Did Urahara teach ya?"

"Shut the hell up Gin." Warned Ichigo, a stern glint in his eye.

"I always said you were a creepy kid. Statement still holds true. You are one terrifying kid. I'll stop fer' now, but I do expect answers sometime soon Kurosaki." Gin's normal facial expression returned as he stared straight through Ichigo.

Orihime grabbed onto Ichigo's forearm. "Kurosaki-kun, please don't fight. At least, not in here."

Ichigo huffed and crossed his arms, turning away from the silver snake.

Ur stared at the boy intently. 'Will to kill? Must have had a pretty messed up life… I wonder how old he is, looks like he's almost 20, maybe 21.'

"Hey, Ichigo."

"Yeah?"

"How old are you actually?"

Natsu and the others from the Fairy Tail group realized that none of them actually knew Ichigo's age. They all just assumed he was older than them by a few years. They perked up and payed close attention.

"Ah, well I'm seventeen actually. Will be hitting eighteen in a few months' time."

The Fairy Tail members almost fainted. 'He's so young!'

Gray sputtered. "Wait, wait, wait… You're younger than me?! And you're that strong?!"

Erza was lost for words as well. "I lost to a boy two years younger than me…"

Natsu was fascinated. "How'd you get so strong so young?!"

Ur's thoughts went a different direction though. 'Seventeen and he's already had to kill people? And with that kind of strength? What the hell did he go through?'

Gin chose to comment too, "Like I said, you're a creepy kid Kurosaki. Seventeen years old and you could probably give the head captain a run for his money in terms of strength. Probably beat him too. And you were only training for a year at most. Which is a conservative guess countin' in those two years you stopped all together."

The last comment almost caused a heart attack in the Fairy Tail members. Erza's mood plummeted even further. "He's only been training for at most a year and he already far surpasses me…"

Natsu had hearts in his eyes. "Tell me what you did to get that strength!"

Gray and Lucy both fainted.

"Had to learn on the go almost every time I guess. Getting beaten down then learning how not to get beaten down by the same thing helps." Ichigo answered Natsu's question.

Gray managed to be conscious enough to hear the answer and something in his brain triggered. "Wait, back in your guild while talking to your friends; they said you've been through wars…"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Yeah, two official ones to be exact."

A grim mood fell over the people in the infirmary. Ur felt sad for the kid. She'd seen and had her own fair share of conflict, but never a war. It's been so long since the last time there was a war. Most people live out their lives fully without having to experience it but this _kid_ went through two in the span of two years.

He definitely earned a place of respect in her heart.

Gin's happy voice cut through the gloom of the room, "Oh well, at least they were fun right Kurosaki?"

Ichigo smacked him over the head, "Are you god damn crazy? How was any of it fun?!"

"Well it was fun for me at least…" Gin pouted.

"That's because most of the time you were trying to stab me!" Ichigo shouted.

Gin shrugged, uncaring. "Had to play my part."

Ichigo was about to slap him again but he stopped as he heard knocking on the Fairy Tail guild doors. He turned to Erza. "Hey, I think one of you should check that out right?"

Erza nodded and went down to open up the guild doors. Something about it peeved Ichigo though. When he knocked no one answered.

The guild doors opened to show a messenger from the council. Backing it up was a squadron of Rune Knights. A formality more than anything, after all against a whole guild what would a few Rune Knights be able to do?

The messenger cleared its throat. "Ahem, I have been informed that the person we are after for arrest is currently in your guild. Will you please bring him out and hand him over?"

Erza raised a brow. She heard the rest making their way to her. "Who exactly are you here to arrest?"

"We are here to arrest the man known as Ichigo Kurosaki for the wide scale destruction of property and environment."

"I see… I shall inform him immediately." Erza glared at the messenger slightly before turning back and meeting Ichigo half way.

She spoke in a low voice, "The council is here to arrest you. Don't worry, it's just a show of power. You'll be released after some questioning."

Ichigo sighed, "Arrested huh… Alright, I'll go along with them for now."

Ichigo turned back towards Orihime. "Orihime, go back to the guild and tell Urahara I'm under trial. I'll be back in no time."

"Eh?! Arrested?! Are you sure? Maybe they got something wrong? No way you can be arrested Kurosaki-kun! You didn't do anything wrong! At least I don't think you did…" Orihime panicked, arms and hands waving around frantically in a flurry of gestures.

"Would you relax Orihime? It's just a sham. They just wanna make sure they that are the ones that appear to have the power that's all. Nothing will happen to me."

Orihime still didn't like the idea of him being arrested though. "Kurosaki-kun… Can I at least come along? To make sure things are okay?"

"Absolutely not! The less people with me the better. Lesser suspicions are aroused. Stay in the guild, I'll be fine."

She pouted, but relented. "Fine…"

Gin slapped Ichigo's back with a little more force than necessary, "Now, now, don't you be worried Ichi-chan! I'll make sure yer little girlfriends are safe. Ya kept Rangiku safe from Aizen and the Quincies after all."

Ichigo got back his footing after stumbling from the slap; he glared at Gin. "You? Protect? Don't bullshit me. Besides I didn't protect Rangiku from anything during the fights."

Gin snaked his hand back over Ichigo's shoulders and pulled him close. "Heh it's true ya didn't directly protect 'er, but ya did defeat Aizen and kill Yhwach. So by way of proxy, you did protect her. I still haven't returned the favour to ya."

As much as Ichigo wanted to refuse Gin, he could tell he genuinely wanted to help. It surprised him immensely. Reluctantly, he accepted his help. "Fine. And I don't have a damn girlfriend! And the hell do you mean 'girlfriends'?!"

Gin was a little surprised the orange mop hadn't landed himself a harem yet. His eyes actually opened. "Wow, yer really dense aren't ya? Oh well, I know who are yer friends. I'll just kill what tries to kill them. Easy peasy."

"Who the hell are you callin' dense?!"

"Ahem" The messenger cleared its throat. "If you have said your goodbyes, I must escort you to the council to have your trial. Follow me."

Ichigo and messenger climbed into the carriage, making their way along the dirt road. Orihime sighed, "Well, I think I should be heading back now. I don't want to worry Kurosaki-kun… Thank you all for having us over. See you next time!" She waved good bye to the Fairy Tail group as she headed on her walk home. Gin waited for a bit before tailing her.

The whole arrest didn't sit well with Erza and Natsu. Natsu suggested an idea, "Hey Gramps, what if we go follow them and clear up the mistake?"

"I support that idea master." Erza chimed in.

"Count me in!" Lucy piped up.

"Same here." Gray added.

"Absolutely not." Surprisingly, it wasn't the Master that denied them but Ur instead. "Council matters like this are to be left alone. Nothing will happen to Ichigo. If we suddenly put our guild into the equation, it could turn chaotic and it might do more bad than good. If he was truly falsely convicted then for sure we would help, but from what I've heard he's blown up more than just the master's conference building. Let the politicking happen, but if they truly do need help, be ready to help. For now relax… or maybe train up. You've all got a long way to go before catching up to Ichigo and company according to your tales."

"I concur with Ur here. False trials are held all the time just to show the public that the council is not ignoring collateral damage victims. Let it take its place. Besides for me personally, I still don't trust their guild too much. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful they revived Ur and helped us out on occasions. But some of their members and their guild master are too… militaristic? Distrustful? Violent? Scheming? Self-centred? There are many more words to describe them somewhat. The combination of them all probably describes them fully. So far out of that group, I would recommend only making friends with Ichigo and his true friends if you want to."

The group were shocked to hear their master speak that way. Erza and Natsu in particular. Natsu let his mind be known, "No way Gramps! What do you mean? Their master saved me remember? Besides what makes you say that?!"

"Because Natsu, I had a talk with their guild master. Urahara Kisuke. He seems friendly and wacky, but he's dangerous to the highest levels. And the terrifying news is that they are only a branch part of a military organization. Filled to the brim with people of monstrous power. I don't know that they want to do in Magnolia, or even Fiore. But most likely it's to benefit themselves. They may be a light guild, but their guild master gives off a feeling even some of the dark guild masters would have a tough time imitating. And did you not hear? They, including Ichigo, have been through two wars. Wars are a horrible thing. It makes people into monsters. Who knows how much blood is on their hands."

Natsu went silent. Erza was in disbelief. 'There's no way Ichigo is like that right? No, of course he isn't. His guild and master might be, but he definitely isn't. I will choose to put my trust in you Ichigo. Don't let me down… please.' She stared at the spot where the carriage was once.

Lucy voiced out her concerns. "No way… If they ever decide that they want to attack us or anyone else…"

Makraov nodded grimly, "It'd be hard to stop them. Train up, all of you. Get everyone stronger. As a precaution."

Gray took a deep breath and clenched his fist. "We're going to train alright, but we aren't going to train so we can fight them in the future."

He looked the master in the eye, "We're gonna train so we can help them. Just like they did to us. Because I have full faith that they aren't like that. That they're good people. I also have to repay them for saving Ur. Anyone that would do that is a good person to me."

Natsu took his side. "That's right! I haven't repaid their master for saving me, or even Ichigo! He saved me too!"

Lucy took their side as well. "Yeah master! We have to have some trust in the new guys! Just look at Ichigo and Orihime. Their great people!"

Erza stood in front of them, their de-facto leader. "That's right. You can have reservations about their guild master, but the people in the guild should be individually judged. And so far, apart from Gin, they have all been good people. Militaristic? Yes. Anything else? No. I will judge them for my own."

Makarov sighed heavily, knowing his children would be like this. They brought up some good points too. Looks like he'd have to give in this time. "Fine then. We shall take a chance with them. But my trust in them will be built over time. If you all want to train up, then take a break from taking jobs. That's a piece of advice I had gotten when I was in my younger days."

While Erza, Gray, and Natsu wouldn't have minded taking a break for a while to train, Lucy did. She hadn't been a guild member for long and she didn't have the power to go on missions alone. At least the ones that paid well. The group came to the consensus that they would continue on their jobs, but would still find time to train. Erza had a realisation though. 'We have to convince their guild master to let Ichigo train us…'

She sighed, putting that issue aside for another day. Ur broke off from her silent thinking to address the group, "Well, I'm hungry. Wanna get some food? We'll cross this bridge another day. Relax for now."

"Aye sir!" Natsu and Happy both shot up as food was mentioned. The rest followed, slowly getting appetized by the thought of Mira's cooking.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The pristine white halls and carpeted floor of the Council room greeted Ichigo as he stepped in. It was a large place, mostly empty. The messenger brought Ichigo towards the door. "Your trial will be held in here, please get in."

Ichigo complied, pushing through the doors and setting foot into the room. He glanced around and saw a bunch of people in official attire staring down at him. 'Must be the councilmen…'

Someone caught his eye though. The same woman he had met once before when he first got arrested. The purple haired one. A closer look revealed her marred skin, the scar on her chin. Eerily similar to the one he gave the man back at Galuna Island. 'Come to think of it… She used that floating ball too…' He scowled, 'Looks like the council isn't as uncorrupted as it wants to seem…'

An old man with a beard stepped up to a podium, to address him probably. "Ichigo Kurosaki! You have been arrested under multiple charges of property damage and environmental damage! Normally this would be ignored as collateral damage but the magnitude of it cannot be ignored! When your guild first came to Magnolia we turned a blind eye towards you all. But now, it seems I cannot. The damage you caused was too much for how little effort you used. You must be strong. Wizard saint level isn't improbable."

An uproar was heard in the room. Agreements and disagreements hollered at the top of their voices by the councilmen. Denials were flung across to the people that accepted it.

"Now, how a wizard saint level mage has slipped under our nose for so long I have no clue. And how you manage to have no records at all in Fiore is also suspicious. No background with immense power just appearing in our continent one day with a whole guild of similar people. You are the cause of quite the worry. I expect you to tell us the truth about yourself young man. Everything."

Ichigo took a breath. Looks like he'd have to reveal himself. Kisuke isn't going to be happy.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I was and still am a Substitute Shinigami. Though currently I am a Lieutenant. Truth is that we are not from your world. We came through an anomaly. A hole in the dimensions so to speak. The hole is being kept up, studied, and maintained by Hat-and-clogs and the rest of the guys in the Soul Society. We aren't here to invade or anything. We just want to explore and map out this new world."

Laughter rippled across the masses in the room. They all thought he was delusional.

"Another world? You must be joking!"

"Don't make me laugh!"

"You're nothing but a crazy child!"

Org had to bring order. "Silence. Can you prove what you are saying child? If you are unable to prove yourself, you shall be arrested for a far longer period of time."

Ichigo shrugged, "You got something I can try and prove it to you with?"

Org turned to the man by his side and nodded, he left the room. "I shall provide you with a memory lacrima. Focus your energy into it and it shall give a hologram of your memories. If it is proven that you are indeed from a different world, we shall figure out negotiations from there."

The man returned into the room with a polished marble-looking slab on a cushion. Ichigo went to grab it but stopped when he heard a shout across the room. "Stop!"

He turned back to look at Ultear walking up towards him. "With all due respect Org, I don't think he should try that; at least not directly. If he is from another world, who knows what he could accidentally do if his form of magic does not mix with the lacrima."

Org considered this carefully. She was right. "Very well, what would you suppose we do?"

Ultear grinned, "I'll form a link between him and the lacrima."

Org thought about it for a second, "Very well."

Ultear looked back at the scowling face of Ichigo and smirked. "Now, now, what's with the grumpy face? I'm just trying to help."

Ichigo scoffed, "You? Helping people?"

Ultear put a hand on her breast in fake hurt, "How mean." She turned serious and picked up the lacrima. "I'm gonna need physical contact from you, so I'm gonna hold your hand you got it."

"…ne"

"What was that?" She turned around and almost laughed. His face cheeks were pink and he faced away, holding his hand out. "Don't have to be shy."

"Shut up! Just get it over with!" Ichigo shouted at her.

"Fine, fine." She grabbed a hold of Ichigo's hand and started the process. Ichigo, for his part, let his spiritual pressure flow into his hand with what little control he had. He was desperately trying to ignore Ultear's touch though. 'Her hand… It's soft… Gah! I'm a pure man! I'm a pure man, I'm a pure man, I'm a pure man…'

He chanted that in his head until Ultear gave a hum. He looked to the lacrima to see it glowing blue. Ultear had her eyes closed in intense concentration. She spoke, "Think of some memories Ichigo."

He didn't want to reveal too much about the soul society or give away any vital information, so he chose to conjure up memories of the Sogyoku hill and its view, a few of the barracks he had been to, some sparring he had done with others, and hanging around the captains.

The councilmen –Org included- sat there in awe and wonder as they saw the sequence of memories take place. A strange land where the people dress in black and white robes and have swords at their side at all times. The pristine and clean cut look of what appears to be military barracks. The view from the hilltop showcased the sheer size of the place. Stunned wows and disappointed grumbling settled in. The memory now showed the very same man in the room with them sparring it seems with a red haired man. Both of them wielded weird blades. Ichigo wielded what looks like an oversized kitchen knife. Too big for anyone to wield it efficiently at all, but somehow he managed it. The other one had a strange one as well, with multiple protrusions from his sword as well. Along with the uncanny ability to extend and retract. With fast movements, too fast for them to see, both warriors battled it out in the dirt field. The red head charged up a red orb. 'A spell?'

That wasn't the case however as there was a lack of a magic circle. And the chanting wasn't something you did unless it was a very powerful spell. And unless it was the **Amaterasu** series, it usually wasn't numbered either. So whatever that **Shakkho** was, it wasn't a spell.

Org had seen enough. The boy was really telling the truth. That is truly terrifying. Having a hostile foreign continent was bad enough, but now they may have to potentially deal with a foreign world all together. And the strength of its warriors weren't a joke if Ichigo's obliteration of the council building was of any indication.

"I believe you child. You can turn off the memory lacrima now, I have seen enough. For now you shall be pardoned but do take my warning to heart. If you cause as much trouble as those Fairy Tail bunch, I will have you arrested again you hear?" The chairman warned.

"Sure whatever, can I leave now?" Ichigo cleaned his ear with his pinky.

"You…" Org took a deep breath, "Chairman! You can't just let him go! He is suspicious!"

The chairman looked at Org with a strong gaze, "Of course I don't Org, stand down."

Org took his seat quietly.

The chairman once again addressed Ichigo. "Now, as you told us, this hole in the dimensions is under the control of your guild master?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

The chairman responded, "Very well, in a few weeks' time we would like to send diplomats through the hole in order to have negotiations with the head of your world. Do inform him of it."

Ichigo had a slight panic attack, "Wait! Are you sure you want to do that? The head captain is not something to mess around with you know."

"Yes, I am sure child. Now get out. The trial is over and you are pardoned."

Ichigo grit his teeth as he was escorted out. Looks like he'd need to explain a lot of things once he got back.

"Ichigo, wait up." He heard Ultear call out to him.

He turned around and almost died of shock as he felt someone's lips closed around his. Soft and plump lips pressed themselves against his, and for a few seconds he couldn't do anything. Ultear pulled away and giggled slightly at the catatonic state she put the substitute soul reaper in. Red faced and frozen, Ichigo came back to his senses and sputtered indignantly, "Wh-Wh-What the hell wa-was that?!"

Ultear smiled, "Consider it a 'thank you' of sorts. I hope I'll get to know you better from now on." She turned and started to walk away before she felt Ichigo's hand grab a hold of her wrist. "My, my, Ichigo I didn't know you were so forward. But this is still too fas-."

"Shut the hell up, it was you wasn't it?" Ichigo cut her off angrily.

"What do you mean?" Ultear faked innocence.

"Don't act stupid. You were that Zalty guy on Galuna Island weren't you? That's how you got that cut on your chin. You even use the same things." Ichigo grabbed her shoulder and pinned her to the wall.

"Looks like I'm caught huh? Well, fine. It was me. What are you gonna do about it?" Ultear smirked.

"Why?! Why are you helping out that kind of people?! They wanted to bring back a demon!" Ichigo shouted, inching closer and closer to her face.

"You shouldn't ask a lady for all her secrets on the first date you know. I suggest you let me go, who knows what kind of impression people would have of you if they saw you assaulting a female council member like this."

Ichigo reluctantly let her go.

"Thank you. I didn't just do it for kicks you know. I had a purpose."

Ichigo glared at her, "And that would be?"

Ultear cast her eyes down. 'You ruined that purpose though… asshole.'

"I wanted to have it under my control. Plain and simple." Ultear looked off to the side.

"We both know that's not the whole reason why. You're working for someone aren't you?"

Ultear brought an orb up and readied for a fight. "Now you're just trying to dive in too deep. I don't have to explain myself to you. I just wanted to thank you and that's all. If I were you I'd take my leave, unless you feel like fighting everyone in this building."

Ultear herself knew that if he wanted to he probably could. She'd seen his fight with Grimmjow. And felt his power just now. He was a monster.

Ichigo stood down, and turned away. "If I see you again, trying to do anything shady, I'll get rid of you. Hope you understand." He got out and used his Quincy speed technique to get on his journey home.

Ultear had the orb at ready a for a little longer before she fell back against the wall and let herself sink to her knees. 'Stupid bastard ruining my plan… Where am I supposed to go after I quit? With him? Myself? Or do I face _her_ again in Fairy Tail. That is, if either of them will even take me in…"

The thought of Ur Milkovitch made her blood boil and heart ache. She wanted to hate her. She wanted to despise her. She wanted to blame her for everything wrong with her. For abandoning her. But she knew, deep down, deep inside, it wasn't true. It might have been if she hadn't seen her alive once more. That day changed her. It brought along a whole wave of new thoughts. One of those had been regret. Regret for doing whatever she had up till this point. It also made her realise that she didn't truly hate Ur. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was still craving for that love. For all those years missed. The void in her heart was left by her death and it only torn open further with each year she held her feelings of abandonment and resentment. The void was filled a little when she saw her mother alive. And she found a new purpose in life. To fill that void. To have a mother-daughter relationship again. She spent hours in tears that day. She wanted to quit Grimoire Heart. She wanted to live the light life. She didn't want to feel like some monster. She wanted to be a good person.

She felt a drop of liquid hit her knee. Looks like she was crying again.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 **[A/N] Heya everyone~ A super late chapter, I know. Sorry bout that, been real busy lately. Oh and do tell me whether you guys prefer the current style of separating story events (-.-.-.-.-.-) or the old -SS,MB- one**

 **Interaction time!  
**

 **To gunzen: Thank you for the idea suggestion, but I don't think I will really be following that route anytime too soon. I still have some of my own ideas for non-canon arcs and canon arcs themselves to go through.**


	14. Chapter 14

"Oi Hat-and-Clogs!" Ichigo shouted as he barged through the guild doors. "Get down here, urgent news!"

The door to Kisuke's little study burst open with Kisuke rushing down to meet Ichigo. The rest of the guild had heard his outburst, and the ones of significance made themselves known. Harribel and Nel walked down the steps, Ishida and Chard walked up from a nearby table. The former pinched the bridge of his nose. Orihime was by his side practically the moment he entered. And Gin slowly stood up from his chair, eagerly making his way over to hear the news. Yoruichi flashed down beside Ichigo, grabbing his collar.

"Urgent news Ichigo?! What happened in the trial?!" Yoruichi asked/yelled.

Ichigo shook off her hand and sighed. "I had to tell them about Soul Society. They asked me to tell you that they would be sending diplomats through the portal to meet the head captain and negotiate with him…"

All colour drained from Kisuke's face as his jaw dropped. Gin's chuckling brought a stark contrast to the grim situation. Yoruichi expected as much. She put a palm to her face.

Kisuke's visage turned serious, "Do they know anything about the Head Captain? He might just kill them if they don't tread lightly… And how did they even believe you anyway?"

"They have this stone called a memory lacrima. Apparently if you put some power in it you can display memories." Ichigo answered.

"And what exactly were the memories you showed them Ichigo?"

"Nothing serious, just the view of the Soul Society and a small spar between Renji and me." Ichigo shrugged.

Kisuke took a breath of relief, "The head captain won't be happy you know? Did they say what they wanted to negotiate about?"

"Nope, they just said they'd be sending diplomats." Ichigo scratched his neck.

"They most likely want to make sure we don't invade them. Either that or set up trade agreement. Both options are ones that the Head Captain most likely won't agree with. After all, we are the stronger military power. His reasoning would probably go along the lines of 'Why bother setting up trade when I can just invade and take everything for myself?' or 'You can't defend against us, what's the point of this meeting?' Let's just hope that Soul Society will stick to its traditional method of non-intervention. I'll probably go with the diplomats to ease out the negotiations with the Head Captain. Ichigo, could you come with me to the office for a moment." Kisuke said before turning from the group and making his way up into his office.

Urahara in his serious mode meant business, meaning that even if they didn't want to go along with him they didn't really have a choice. They reluctantly made their way into the office, Ichigo entered.

"Now spit it out Kisuke, the hell do you want to tell me?" Ichigo asked roughly.

"You're not going to like hearing this Kurosaki-san, but I'm afraid it's one way to appease the Head Captain. See, my plan to get the diplomats and the Head captain to agree on one thing, which is that peace is necessary for the most progress for both parties. Because in peace, the research team here can do their job at full efficiency. In order to have this peace, there has to be a form of compromise. For letting us into their world and researching it, the Council is going to want something out of us. Now then, do you know of what's called dark guilds in this world?" Kisuke asked.

Ichigo nodded, "Their basically guilds that break the law and commit crimes aren't they?"

Kisuke nodded back, "In a basic form, yes. There's plenty of dark guilds and plenty of different types. A form of enemy towards the council if you will. What I plan to propose is having people from the Soul Society help the council get rid of their enemies, and we get to stay here and research without restrictions in peace. You all realise what that means don't you? Soul Society is going to have to get rid of some. Don't worry, you don't have to take part in it if you don't want to. Most likely it's gonna be some Omnitsukido squads taking them out. For some of the tougher ones, we'll send some of the more powerful people as a back-up. Be it a captain or hollow. Might even be one of us from this guild, depending on what the mission needs."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Why are you telling me this Kisuke? This is all usually cloak and dagger stuff that you keep quiet about."

Kisuke took off his signature bucket hat and laid it on the table, he looked up at Ichigo with earnest eyes. "Because, you're my lieutenant now Ichigo. Adding on to the fact that you are one of the most powerful one-on-one fighters and the defacto leader of the rest here, you are definitely respected enough to hear of my plans. But the main reason why, is because _you_ might be called up to go remove a dark guild or two. And with the sheer power you bring, you could easily spare your friends from Karakura of that fate. You'd just have to fill in for them on missions they are called up for, in addition to your own. That means if the plan goes through, you're going to be obliterating a whole lot of dark guilds. While they are evil people, they are people nonetheless. Can you stomach it Ichigo? Can you tolerate that so the Soul Society will have a means of staying here? So they don't have to go on a rampage again?"

A dark shadow was cast of Ichigo's eyes. 'He's basically asking me if I'm willing to kill…'

" **What's there to debate about Partner?** " Zangetsu spoke up from his inner world. " **Kill some of them, to save practically the rest of the world. Besides, you're not going to be doing it alone you know? Those already acclimated to killing will have no problem. Basically everyone except your Karakura group are willing to spill blood.** "

"I must agree with Zangetsu, Ichigo. It is certainly not an easy task for you to do, but it prevents the greater loss of life. That is your core principle is it not? To protect? Besides, it's not like you have never killed before." The Quincy in him mentioned.

'So you two are completely fine with just going around and killing whole guilds?!' Ichigo mentally yelled.

"In essence, yes. Think about it Ichigo. If you get called to do it, you're going to have to do it. And what of your friends? Do you think Yasutora Sado will be able to? Ishida Uryu? Orihime Inoue? By doing this you are protecting them."His Quincy partner sternly told him.

" **And it's not just them partner, you'll be protecting this little world and its people from the Soul Society. Don't forget, they're just as shady and ruthless as any villain. You just happened to join its side. You never really fought for them, your interests just collided. I'm sure the Head Captain knows that too. If you don't like the way it's done you can always kill the Head Captain and take over. But we all know how well you respond to paperwork. So toughen up your gut and mind, it's not innocent people you're killing either you know. They're murderers, rapists, thieves, slavers, torturers, assassins. And you're gonna have to keep workin' for the Soul Society. Know why? They know your entire family, your friends, those near and dear to you. And don't forget, those dark guild people have done some disgusting things you know? Ginjo, Aizen, and Yhwach at least had some form twisted morality in the sense that they didn't stoop that low."** The sword scolded.

'… Fine.' Ichigo muttered quietly, knowing in his own heart that it had to be done. The words from his closest allies had hammered in the final nail in the coffin. He'd have to do this. He'd have to shed more blood it seems. It's not like he couldn't stand gore or death. After all, he had killed Ginjo, Ulquiorra and Yhwach. He just preferred not to kill. But it looks like he'd have to let go of those reservations.

Kisuke cleared his throat, bringing Ichigo's attention back to him. "So, Ichigo, what will it be?"

Ichigo's glare pierced through Kisuke's grey eyes. "I'll do it. But you leave Orihime, Chad, Uryu and anyone else not from Soul Society or Hueco Mundo out of it you understand?"

The steel in his voice left no other option for Kisuke but to accept. "Understood Ichigo. I truly am sorry that I must do this. You have my thanks." He placed his hat on his chest and bowed, showing respect to Ichigo.

He straightened back up and placed his cap on his head, nestling it comfortably in his signature fashion. He gained his own goofy attitude back, whipping out his fan and placing it in front is his face. "On the bright side Kurosaki-san! You'll be seen as even more of a hero to the Soul Society now! Two-time war hero and defender of dimensions! Imagine the women that will be lined up to meet you!"

Kisuke promptly received a foot in his face. Sending him crashing into the table and the papers flying.

Ichigo walked out of the office, "Would you and my dad shut the hell up about women and me?!" He slammed the door of the office. Although he had a scowl on his face, he was still appreciative that Kisuke tried to lighten up his mood.

Kisuke rubbed his sore nose, his back on the floor and legs propped up on the table. He closed his eyes and sighed. 'Sorry Isshin… I promise I won't let anything happen to him. As a mentor to him… And a… friend.'

"So, you didn't tell him the whole truth huh?" Yoruichi's disapproving and cold voice cut through the thrashed room. She had flickered into the room, unknown to anyone. A lightning quick flash. She stood with her arms crossed and back against the wall. "You do realise he's still just a kid Kisuke. No matter how stupidly strong he is, or how unbending of a will he has, he is still a boy."

Kisuke set the chair back in place and sat back in proper position, gloom evident in his face. "I know that Yoruichi… I know that. I don't want to do this but…"

Yoruichi finished his sentence, sensing that Kisuke clearly did not want to. "… He's the easy option."

Kisuke almost flinched from the disgust in her voice. His oldest friend, and closest companion. "Sadly, yes. Don't get it twisted though, I like Kurosaki-san. Very much so. He is after-all my first and best student. And begrudgingly for someone of my nature, I would call him a friend. And in reality the chances of him being asked to do anything like this is very slim. Anything the Omnitsukido can't handle, a captain will do. And I doubt there's anything in this world that will be able to take on a captain's full might. I just wanted his confirmation and permission to send him if absolutely necessary."

Yoruichi's scowl remained. "He's not just _your_ student Kisuke. He's mine as well. And soon enough, he'll probably be Shinsui's student if he decides to ask him for advice. Difference is that I'm not afraid of admitting he's much closer than a student to me. I've started to love the kid as family. His friends come close too. Don't you dare cause any permanent harm to him. If I find that he can't cope or handle with his missions well, you're taking him out of the mission roster. And that doesn't mean you get to substitute him with someone else from Karakura… It's for your sake too you know. You're just too stubborn to get in touch with emotions sometimes."

She flashed away, probably back into the main hall of the guild to entertain herself with the others and lighten her mood.

'My sake too huh…?' Kisuke wondered as he took both the unspoken and spoken warning his friend left him to heart.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"So what was the talk with Kisuke about Kurosaki?" Uryu questioned as Ichigo made himself known to the group once more. Speculations were thrown about by each member of the group, some pessimistic, some optimistic, but most were harshly realistic.

"Nothing much, just a discussion about what to tell the head captain." Ichigo waved off the group's eager stare.

"That's it?!" Uryu half yelled and half shouted. "All that suspense and drama for a discussion on what to tell the Head Captain?!"

Ichigo cleaned his ear with his pinky. "Head Captain's a scary guy, gotta sweet talk him a little."

Uryu's jaw dropped in disbelief at the ridiculousness of his nonchalant statement. "You…"

While Uryu was still trying to process the ridiculous and brief explanation, Orihime stared intensely at Ichigo's face. She knew he wasn't lying. But she also knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. She'd been with him long enough to know. Whatever it was had made Ichigo uncomfortable, and that didn't bode well for the future. But she didn't want to force Ichigo to spill the beans if he didn't want to. Nor would she. She firmly believed in him and his intent to keep all those dear to him safe. She just hoped that he wouldn't put himself through too much for their sake. After all, he always had that tendency to sacrifice himself for others.

'Don't push yourself for our sake Ichigo… We're strong too.' Orihime silently hoped that he'd be able to read her thoughts. Alas, the carrot top was no psychic.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Four hundred and ninety-nine! Five hundred!" Natsu shouted as he got up from his push-up position. He hopped around a little, shaking his arms. "Ah, that was a good workout! Wasn't it Happy?"

"Aye!" Happy responded as he flew down from a nearby tree trunk and landed on Natsu's shoulder. "Let's get some food Natsu! I'm hungry…"

Natsu's stomach grumbled in agreement. "Hell yeah! Let's go Happy!" He started running through the forest, faintly in the direction of Magnolia City.

"Aye Sir! But where though?" Happy questioned as he flapped his wings behind Natsu, keeping pace.

"The guild, duh. Where else are we going to find Mira's cooking?" Natsu's mouth watered.

Happy's big orbs brightened. "Woohoo! She always makes the best fish!"

Natsu however, midway of his frantic pursue of food, stopped dead in his tracks with his nose in the air. He sniffed a little bit and his eyes lit up. "Happy! I smell Erza!"

"Eh?! Erza?! In the forest?" Happy asked, shocked that Erza would be here.

"Yeah! She's in the forest, I can hear her swinging her sword too! C'mon, let's go train with her! Maybe we'll get to spar too!" Natsu started to run after the scent of strawberries and steel. He was held back by the collar of his vest by Happy in a remarkable show of strength by the blue avian cat.

"Wait Natsu! Are you crazy?! That's Erza! She'll beat you to a pulp the moment you show your face!" Happy's wings worked in overdrive trying to flap backwards with enough force to keep the rowdy dragon slayer in place.

Natsu froze in place, leg halfway up the air and his arms in a marching position. He spun on his heel and started marching towards the guild once more. "Food it is Happy!"

"I can't wait for Mira's food!" Happy flew after the dragon slayer in hot pursuit.

"After that, we can go train again!" Natsu happily shouted. Nose high up in the air to smell his way out of the forestry and into the guild kitchen.

Happy landed on Natsu's shoulder and slumped lazily, "Again? Why are you training so hard nowadays Natsu?"

"Because Happy, I have more people I have to beat now. Ichigo is strong. Super strong. Stronger than Erza! And I want to beat him! To do that I need to train. His friend already hits like a dragon, I can't imagine what he's like." Natsu beamed, excited by the prospect of having an even more challenging hurdle to get past.

"So shouldn't you be training with Erza to get stronger though?" Happy asked.

Natsu stopped in his tracks. "I can't do that Happy. She's too scary. Besides I'm sure I can get stronger on my own."

"You're gonna have to do it someday Natsu."

"Let's just get some food Happy, my stomach's killing me. Talk about all this depressing stuff later." Natsu continued his leisurely walk.

Happy stared at his friend's unconvincingly happy face. His eyelids dropped in concern for his friend. He couldn't understand why Natsu couldn't train with Erza. He'd fight her with all his might and hang out with her no problem but when it came to training he just never approached her. It was weird and worrying at the same time.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Grimmjow kicked open the guild doors, slamming them against the walls and scaring more than a few people. "Oi! Bucket hat! They're comin' and they're bringing their whole guild! Hope you got my reward ready." He called up towards the office.

Ichigo walked into the main hall from the lounge area, followed by his group. "What's the big idea Grimmjow? Whose coming? And what's this about a reward?"

Grimmjow's fangs bared in a grin as he saw Ichigo. "Oh? He didn't tell you huh?"

"Didn't tell me what?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"He means that I forgot to tell you that you have a training spar with Grimmjow as a reward for him doing his mission well! You'll be duking it out in the sands of Hueco Mundo. No limits, except for the fact that you can't kill each other of course." Kisuke's fan covered his mouth.

"Why the hell wasn't I informed of this?!" Ichigo shouted.

"Because it's a surprise gift of course!" Kisuke cheerily replied, fan in full spread in front of his smirking mouth. "Oh and the portal has already been opened to a forest in Soul Society, you're going to have to open a Garganta from there."

"Kisu-." Ichigo didn't finish his sentence. He was dragged off by Grimmjow towards the portal, who already released his full strength.

Kisuke saw Yoruichi in cat form speed past him and towards the two, not to interfere but rather, make sure the two don't kill each other.

"I'd pity the kid if he wasn't so damn strong." Quipped Gin after a low whistle.

"We're about to have our own problems to deal with Gin." Kisuke informed.

Gin smiled. "I know."

The ground of Magnolia began to tremor.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Mirajane was not a professional cook. But she was a damn good one. And in every cook, professional or not, lay a certain sense of pride and accomplishment in the finishing touches. The garnishing and the plating. The light sprinkle of herbs or the slight wipe of the side of a plate to pin the tail on the proverbial donkey and complete the meal.

She hummed a gentle tune as she grabbed some finely chopped parsley and prepared to sprinkle it onto the dish when the table suddenly shook, spilling over the tall glass of water that beside the plate. The ruined dish ignited her ire and she was ready to storm out and bash the cause of the shake with a wooden spoon. Most likely it would be Natsu. After all, bombastic entrances was Natsu's forte. Or, more accurately, failing them was.

She paused in her warpath when she felt the shake another time. And another. She knew it wasn't Natsu at this point. But her curious mind wanted so desperately to find out what it was. What was causing the tremors? What caused her hearty meal to be wasted?

When she looked out to see her garden of herbs being covered by a shadow, she put down her spoon of doom and walked out to check out what it was. Her thoughts had switched from curiosity to horror as she saw a literal giant walking guild on the other side of town, bearing the Phantom Lord insignia. One of the things they were famous for was their ability to mobilise their whole guild and turn it into a giant robot of sorts, capable of firing a Jupiter Cannon at anything in front of it. Its contribution to making them sky rocket in popularity and strength to becoming Fairy Tail's rival was immense, and well earned.

She ran out of the kitchen and straight up to her master's office. "Master! You have to see this!"

"Hmm? Mira dear, what's got you so worried?" Makarov looked up from the pile of paperwork to regard Mira with spectacled eyes.

"It's Phantom Lord! They've mobilised they're guild and they're coming into Magnolia from the other side of town!" Mira hurriedly told him.

"What?! Why did they bring their guild here?! Wait… Other side of town? That is where that Soul Society guild is!" Makarov came to a stunning conclusion. Jose was going to try and attack Kisuke Urahara's guild. And knowing them, they will fight back. A battle like that would not be safe for the civilians.

"I have to get there immediately! I'm going to try and talk some sense into that damn Jose! Mira you stay here and handle operations until I'm back!" He bolted out the room.

He reached the centre of the guild and started his orders, "Everyone! Phantom Lord has mobilised their guild and is currently coming into Magnolia with what seems to be intent to fight with Soul Society! I will be going there to try and prevent this fight! You will all remain here and defend the guild if you have to! Mira will be put in charge for the time being! Jet, tell Erza to bring her team and catch up to me!" With those commands the guild sprang to action. Makarov ran out the front door of the guild, going as fast as he can to the opposite end of town. Jet took off, heading into the forest where he knew she'd be training. Just at that moment Natsu happened to walk into the guild.

"Hey! What's all the panic about?!" Natsu questioned the guild.

Macao pulled him to the side, "Phantom Lord is attacking your friends over at the other end of town. No idea why, but we're defending the guild. Master is on his way there now, Jet went to get Erza. He asked that Erza and her team join up with him at the guild."

Initially shocked, Natsu slowly found himself fuelled with a burning desire to knock the lights out of Phantom Lord's guild master. He grit his teeth and prepared to sprint after Makarov. "Got it, When Erza gets back tell her I'll be at the guild already." And then he went after Makarov, hot on his trails.

"Just what the hell is going on?" A tired and very sleepy looking Ur made her presence known in the doorway of the infirmary. "I heard Master shout a few things and that woke me up. I didn't quite get what he said though."

A nearby guild member explained the situation to her. Her eyes became saucers. "I'm going after them."

"No. You. Are. Not." Mira grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back into the bed with remarkable force. "You're still weak and recovering. You need to stay here. Don't worry about them, they'll be fine. Jose can't beat Master Makarov. And Master Urahara isn't anything to scoff at either if the rumours are true. They will be fine. Now rest." Mira's affectionate scolding tone of a mother made Ur settle in place in her bed.

"Fine…" Ur pouted slightly.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The final notch in the tree's trunk was created by Erza's sword as she finished up her training for the day. Sweat covered her silky white skin, glossing it with a reflective sheen. Her palms were reddened and calloused and her hair was a mess.

She made her sword disappear and began to drink some water from a canteen. Imagine her surprise when a breathless Jet appeared in front of her suddenly.

"Erza! Bad news! Master asked for you and your team to go to the other side of town, Phantom Lord is going to attack Ichigo's guild! He went to try and stop it!" Jet hurriedly blabbed.

Erza fully understood the rushed rambling and started sprinting after a brief nod to Jet. He collapsed onto a nearby log, trying his best to catch his breath.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"My, oh, my… That is certainly a big guild." Kisuke light-heartedly joked as the combatants of their guild looked up.

"Not the time for this Urahara." Uryu grimly watched on. "We're gonna have to fight them aren't we?"

"I don't think they're here fer a slumber party. Ya might wanna start shooting your toothpicks." Gin replied, annoying the archer to no end.

"Stop your bickering and be prepared." Harribel scolded.

"Ooh, a feisty one huh? Ichi-chan really has been getting himself a buffet of women." Gin taunted.

Red spread across Harribel's covered cheeks. Slight sentiments of unhappiness was seen in the other two women's eyes though.

"Soul Society! You were supposed to be the ones that helped destroy Fairy Tail! To take over Magnolia side-by-side with us! But alas, you gave up that golden opportunity. You are nothing but trash! After we obliterate your sorry guild we'll move onto Fairy Tail!" Jose's voiced boomed from the giant mecha-guild.

"Yeah? You and what army?" Gin taunted.

"This army. Shades!" Jose's voice boomed once more.

And Gin got what he asked for. A veritable army of shadows started pouring out from the guild. All intent on rushing at them.

Kisuke started taking things seriously. "Two of you stay here, the rest of you infiltrate the guild and take down Jose. Try not to kill him, but if you have to go ahead. Leave the other guild members alive though, wouldn't want to get in trouble with the law." The irony of that statement was not lost on the others.

"I'll stay here, I'm good at clearing numbers." Uryu volunteered.

"I'll stay too, I can protect Uryu." Chad offered, transforming his arm into its signature shield form. He stood in front of Uryu.

The rest of the group nodded before they were about to use their respective movement abilities to get to Jose, but a shout from Makarov stopped both sides from aggressing.

"Stop this! Jose, what are you doing?! Starting guild wars are illegal! Not to mention that you should know better than this being a wizard saint yourself!" the old man reprimanded his junior.

"Makarov? Why are you here? No matter, someone up there must love me because this is the opportunity to get rid of both annoyances at once! Jupiter Cannon! Get ready!" Jose cackled sadistically. "Goodbye Makarov. You and your shitty guild could never keep us down!"

The cannon's barrel began to shift itself to face Makarov. The whir of the machine could be heard, charging up to deliver a shot of pure power.

"You do not want me as an enemy Jose that I shall warn you of." Makarov harshly reminded him, his hands starting to glow a pure white light.

"You think you scare me?! That ancient spell can't solve all your damn problems anymore!" Jose yelled.

" **Fairy Law** can most definitely match and overpower your Jupiter Cannon Jose. I shall give you three seconds to stop this pointless guild war." Makarov warned Jose, his hands now brightly glowing.

"Hah! You don't have the guts you has-been! Not when you can potentially risk getting your guild disbanded for it!" Jose challenged him.

"Things can be worked out in the council Jose, we have eye witnesses. Have you forgotten? Three…"

"I'll just have to get rid of both your guilds then." The Jupiter Cannon was at about fifty percent ready to fire now.

"Two…" Makarov counted down.

"Do it then! C'mon do it Makarov!"

"One…"

" **Jupiter Cannon Fire!** "

" **Fairy La-**."

"Master!" Natsu yelled as he leapt in front of him with his hands ablaze.

"Wha- Natsu?!" Makarov's eyes widened as he realised the brief distraction caused him to lose Fairy Law. "Natsu run!" Makarov saw the Jupiter Cannon fire.

He enlarged his hand to cover both him and Natsu as fast as he could and he closed his eyes, both of them bracing for impact.

" **Adamantine Armor!** " Erza's voice cried out.

Makarov saw her stand in front of them both, teeth clenched and shields together.

The Jupiter Cannon hit. But it didn't make the sound everyone thought it would. There was no armor shattering. No shields breaking. No Erza shouting.

Makarov, Natsu, and Erza both slowly opened their eyes to see a giant of a man standing in front of all of them. His arm the shape of a shield. They recognized him as one of Ichigo's friends.

"Chad! You alright?!" Uryu shouted.

"I'm fine. What about you guys?" Chad lowered his smoking arm shield and turned back to address the three stunned onlookers.

"We're fine. You have our thanks." Makarov replied, still wide-eyed.

"What?! Impossible! You should be dead after blocking something like that!" Jose screamed. "Shades! Attack! Prepare the Jupiter Cannon for a second firing!"

The shades unleashed themselves on the group.

"Stick to the plan everyone." Kisuke called out, taking out his Zanpaktou to assist Chad and Uryu on the ground.

Nel, Harribel, and Gin nodded before jumping up to the giant. "Try not to die toothpick-kun!" Gin mocked as he jumped.

"They're arrows!" Uryu shouted after him.

Makarov grew in size, rivalling the guild. "A good old fist fight it is. Natsu, Erza, I can't use my magic at the moment since theirs too many combatants on the field. You two go in and take down Jose."

"Aye sir!" Natsu shouted before he started crawling up the guild.

"Understood." Erza transformed into her Flight Armor and sped after the Soul Society bunch.

"Now then, come at me you useless scrap." Makarov locked hands with the guild, pushing against each other in a show of strength.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Nel and Harribel stepped into the empty corridor of the weaponized guild. They got the pervasive feeling that they were being watched.

Harribel looked around her surroundings, finding nothing out of the ordinary before deciding to start moving down the hall. "It seems Ichimaru is not with us. He went in another direction." Harribel commented.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I just noticed. Where'd he go? Hopefully he spares these people…" Nel really wanted to have hope that Gin wouldn't massacre the people in this guild. But then again, it was Gin. The only way he wouldn't cause a bloodbath would be if he took the orders from Urahara seriously. It was a dim chance though.

Harribel had other thoughts. "Don't be so soft-hearted Nel. These people openly attacked us, we have every right to defend ourselves to whatever means we believe is necessary. I believe he will try to spare them but if they insist on being a nuisance then they will have to be eliminated. That's what we'll be doing too." The silent turn of her head from addressing Nel, to looking forward signalled the end of the discussion. Both women were unwilling to get into an argument with each other over the topic.

The gentle lamb Nel would try her best to show mercy. And the merciless shark Harribel would get rid of them if the need arises. The difference between the two Tres Espada was just that.

"Non, non, such violent Mademoiselles. Your willingness to resort to brutality scares me so." Sol slowly rose from the ground behind them.

Nel and Harribel turned immediately, swords in hand.

"Drip, drop, Juvia will destroy her opponents. Juvia shall defend her guild as much as she can." The rain woman formed behind them, opposite to Sol from a splash of water from the roof.

"You wanna take the water girl Harribel?" Nel asked.

"My pleasure." Harribel pointed the tip of her blade at Juvia's throat.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Wow, this is quite the intricate room isn't it?" Gin asked the spooked inhabitants. "The sign on the door said control room, should I not be here?"

"Leave now and I will spare you intruder. You do not want to feel the burn of these flames." Totomaru threatened, fireball already ready in hand.

"Oh is that so?" Gin reached down and put a hand on Shinso's hilt. "Well, guess I'll be going then, bye bye!"

The jaws of every person in the room dropped to the floor as they watched the menacing, tall creep make an exit through the door.

Totomaru grit his teeth and chased after him, out into the corridor. "Hey just wait a damn second you! Where the hell do you think you're goin'?"

"Well… Ya said get out didn't ya? So I'm bein' a nice guy here, and goin' back to my route of findin' your guild master." Gin shrugged, not understanding why he was throwing such a hissy fit.

"Bu- Wha- You… Gah! Just fight me damn it!" Totomaru sputtered, in disbelief his enemy was being so relaxed.

"Eh?! But you told me get out didn't ya? So just what is it you want you confusing monochromatic matchstick?" Gin whined childishly, tossing in an insult to his opponent's hair.

A vein in Totomaru's forehead almost burst. "Monochromatic… Matchstick?! Like as if you're one to talk you skinny, bamboo-looking, whitey!" Totomaru unsheathed his katana and swung at Gin.

Gin parried with his wakizashi of a blade. "I'll have ya know, I go to the beach every Saturday to try and get tan. I just don't tan easily. Nice sword by the way, which pile of trash did you pick it out from?"

The vein really did burst this time. "Why you… **RAINBOW FIRE!** "

Totomaru launched his ultimate spell at his opponent. It was the first time he had used it so early in the fight, and only after he shot it he realized that it was just a bait. A quick flash step from Gin and a Kido binding ensured that Totomaru wouldn't be able to move.

He struggled on the ground immensely, trying his best to break open his arms from the bars of light that bound him. The efforts were futile though.

Gin walked over menacingly. None of his previous joking or cheeriness in sight, even though a smile was widely plastered on his face. "Now… Are ya gonna be cooperative and tell me where's ya guild master so I don't have to keep wandering these halls like a dumbass?"

Totomaru spat at him. It landed square on his shoulder.

Gin pouted slightly, "That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear." He turned Shinso in his hand and stabbed it into Totomaru's knee with surgical precision. It was lodged in between his kneecap and the joint. "Now, how about my answer?"

Totomaru screamed from the pain, but he bit down on his lip. It drew blood, but he remained loyal. He didn't speak a word.

Gin started moving the short sword, slowly cranking it left like a lever. It severed flesh and tendon alike. Totomaru's screams filled the empty halls. "How about now? Ya still willing to play hard ball and be a badass? Or do ya want me to pull this out and give you a breather so you can answer me." Blood splattered onto the ground.

Through gritted teeth, Totomaru managed to grind out a few words. "Screw… You…"

"Ah," Gin imitated the sound of a buzzer, "Wrong answer yet again! Ya know, I can do this all day. My only instruction is not to kill ya guys. But this? I can do this for a lifetime. Once this thing comes full circle, yer' not gonna have a knee cap anymore. But then again, you have another one. It's like opening an oyster, don't cha think so?" Gin pulled out Shinso, only to stab it back in. Totomaru had tears running down his face at this point, his teeth almost about to break themselves from the sheer forces he was using to keep them clamped together. "You stab it in, then twist," Gin twisted the blade agonizingly slowly, the sound of the kneecap slowly detaching could be heard as it was being forced out. Totomaru finally screamed, and it was probably heard throughout the whole guild. "And then ya just go… pop!" Gin almost popped the kneecap off with his final manoeuvre, if it wasn't so a surprise visitor.

"This is absolutely sorrowful!" Aria shouted as he appeared behind Gin. He lacked his usual tone of overdramatic sobbing, instead it was fuelled with rage as he saw his guild mate being tortured. His usual blindfold was already off, and his eyes glowed with power. " **Airspace: Zero!** "

The wind swirled around them violently before turning into a violent maelstrom that fired itselft at Gin, who just stood there grinning, hand and sword covered in Totomaru's blood. The sideways tornado consumed Gin's entire body.

"I will kill you in the most sorrow way! **Metsu!** " The life draining spell, the terror of the **Airspace** magic was casted. Around Gin's still standing form suddenly appeared multiple magic circles. The glowed brightly before they suddenly exploded in a flash of white, signalling the drainage of the opponent's magic power. The more they had, the more damage this dealt. Both spells ended.

Gin was seen still standing in the same position. Nothing had changed, except for the fact that his robe as scratches and cuts in them and his skin was the same. "Ya done?" Gin asked.

"Impossible! No one can take an empowered **Metsu** and **Zero** and still be alive… What are you?!" Aria yelled.

Totomaru couldn't believe it either. That combination, if allowed to be pulled off, could kill a wizard saint! And this man here just took it all like it was nothing.

"See, ya stuff deals damage based on magic. I ain't got a single bit of magic in me." Gin laughed. "Oh well, no point in explaining anything to you anyway. Let's see how well you fare against my 'magic' **Hado #31: Shakkaho** "

The bright red ball of energy glowed before it was launched at Aria. It smashed against him directly in his midsection before exploding. It caused his body to go flying through the wall, where it lay on the ground.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, let's get back to- Aw shucks, he left me." Gin pouted. He forgot to keep his concentration on the Bakudo, leading to its dissipation. 'Matchstick must've left sometime during that wind stuff… Oh well, I might as well turn this thing off.'

Gin stepped back into the room, the occupants all cowered behind different furniture and equipment. They had heard and briefly seen what he did to Totomaru and they watched the fight between him and Aria. The man was a demon, and they were unwilling to lose their lives. No guild was worth it.

"So, any one of y'all wanna tell me how to turn this guild off?" Gin asked.

"T-T-The guild can't be turned off unless M-M-Master Jose stops feeding it magic from his office. Once it's been started that's the only way to s-s-stop it, or keep it running. This room is only for the J-J-Jupiter cannon!" The terrified crew explained in short bursts and anxious sputtering.

"That's the big lazer right?" Gin asked, pursing his lips together and frowning slightly, as if he was thinking hard.

"Y-y-yes sir!"

"Alright, I'm destroying it." He jammed Shinso into the pain control panel and the orb.

The Jupiter cannon was effectively shut down.

"Now then, anyone willing to tell me where this 'Jose's' office is?" Gin sked with a grin.

"Just down the hall, turn left and take the stairs up!" The instant reply came from all the crew members in unison.

Gin pouted, "Ya guys are no fun ya know that? Well, I'll be on my way then." He walked out the door whistling.

A random crew member slumped against the wall with his knees tucked to his chest. "I'm quitting this guild life first chance I get."

"Same here…" Another one replied, his knees shaking as he propped himself up by holding onto the edge of a chair.

"Did you pee your pants?" The first asked the second, noting the dark colouration in his crotch area as opposed to the light blue of their pants.

"Shut the hell up."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Nel and Harribel had a remarkably easy fight. Considering the fact that Harribel was a master of water techniques, and Nel was a former espada. Harribel toyed with Juvia for a while, dodging her deftly slow attacks and poorly constructed water attacks. It was more of a misting than any form of damaging attack.

Nel had a similar situation. She it was like reverse whack-a-mole. Instead of whacking the mole whenever it came up, she dodged it. She of course could not actually whack the hypothetical mole, since with a katana that would result in the decapitation of said mole. The mole being Sol. And she had 'orders' to keep them alive. He was starting to get annoying though. She had a plan though, and she was confident it would work.

Sol popped out of the ground for a moment, " **Roche Concerto!** " He blasted Nel with stone, or at least tried to. She deflected any that were coming towards her.

He slunk back into the ground. His voice was still heard from underneath however. "Hmm… Yes, yes, yes! My monocle has whispered to me such juicy stories about you mademoiselle! I know your past! What a tragedy… Though it terrifies me so, hearing the stories of your power and the land you lived in. Are you from another continent?" He popped back up from the ground behind Nel, a silhouette with red eyes. "I am deeply sorry for this mademoiselle, but I'm afraid it must be done. **Merci La Vie**!"

The man sent a wave of magic into Nel, the spell start causing her to hallucinate. She saw a flurry of colours before she saw Hueco Mundo once more.

The black night sky with the looming moon over it. She felt herself surrounded by the sands. She felt liquid running down her head and face. Seems like it was blood. She was lost. She didn't understand why she was there or what was happening. She tried to move her body but every part of her hurt. She looked downwards, or was it sidewards now that she was on the ground? She saw her legs bent in an awkward angle. 'Must be broken…' she thought carelessly, still in a daze. She decided to look to her side, and it finally brought the memories back. She got out of her daze. She came to a realization what was happening.

She saw thee crumpled and mangled bodies of her servants. Her fraccion. Pesche and Dondochaka. Their masks ripped off their faces, scarring them disgustingly. Her stomach did flips as she saw them once again. 'Why is this happening?! How?!'

She tried to crawl over to them, her legs not working. She clawed her way through the sands she reached out trying to grab a hold of them. She felt her consciousness waning. She felt like screaming. But there wasn't any energy left.

She reached out, failing to touch them. She wasn't close enough yet. 'Just a little more… A little more…'

"Hahaha! Look at you now you bitch! Look at how pathetic you are! Third Espada my ass! Weak little shit!' she heard Nnoitora holler from somewhere above. "Still trying to reach those weak shits you call servants?! Hahaha! You really are a dumb bitch aren't you?!"

She ignored it. 'A little more…' She could almost touch Pesche's shirt now. Right before she was able to she succumbed to unconsciousness.

She slowly opened her eye lids once more. Blinking slightly. It was bright. 'Was that just a dream? Where am I now…?' She could see the sun.

She thought she was back to herself before she heard a scream. A scream that was forever etched into her memory. Ichigo's scream. She looked to the sound and saw the haunting scene once more. When she was in her child body. Powerless. Useless. She looked at Ichigo, flat on the ground, arm up. His hand help by Nnoitora. His boot was planted on Ichigo's back firmly. Nnoitora twisted the hand, slowly starting to break Ichigo's wrist. Causing him to scream out in pain. The audible pops were heard as the wrist finally gave way and broke.

'No… No… Please not this… Not this too… Ichigo!' She screamed. "Itsygo!" She felt tears run down her face in floods. "Stop please!" She was sobbing now. A pitiful sight. A young girl, crying and sobbing over a man who just had his wrist broken. Unable to do anything.

'Please… Stop this…'

The scene suddenly shifted. It was black for a moment before she was back to her own body. She recognized the room. She could feel herself. She was fighting that guy.

She felt some warm liquid on her cheek. She touched it and looked down at her fingers and saw blood. But it wasn't hers.

She looked to the side and saw Sol. With Harribel's sword sticking out of his chest.

He fell over to the side. He didn't move. His chest tried to rise with futile effort, and he died there. Blood leaked from his gaping mouth as he collapsed onto the ground.

She looked over to see Harribel's opponent in absolute shock. Her mouth hung open and she petrified on the spot.

Harribel had a menacing glare on her face as she looked at the limp body of Sol.

 _-A few minutes prior-_

 _Harribel did what she was doing for the last ten or so minutes. She blocked and dodged the water that was sent to her. It was like child's play really. She heard a spell being cast behind her but she believed Nel would be able to handle it. Well, that's what she thought until she heard the screams._

 _She turned back to see Nel huddled in a ball, clutching her head hard as she screamed her lungs out. She saw Sol looming over her, ready to strike. He was preparing another spell. But he never got to finish. In a momentary lapse of judgement she sonido'd and planted her sword firmly into Sol's chest. Piercing a lung._

-Now-

Harribel pulled her sword out of the body and stalked over to Juvia. Juvia tried her best to stop the woman, throwing every spell she had at her but Harribel just batted them away. She slapped Juvia. Hard. Juvia flew into a wall and slumped over, the backhand almost knocked her out. She felt her throat being grabbed and a sword was put delicately and precisely over her jugular.

"You have exactly three seconds to tell me what just happened. Talk." Harribel ordered.

"Juvia… Only knows… Sol can… make his victims… ex… perience… their worst memories again." She managed to squeeze out those few words as Harribel held her in a vice grip.

She was finally let go, she saw Harribel walk over to Nel and gave her a hand in standing up before confirming she was alright.

Harribel started approaching Juvia again but Nel placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. She almost pulled away to continue, but she saw Nel shake her head. Nel gestured to Sol's body. Harribel relented, and followed Nel deeper into the guild. Not before delivering one last scorning glare at Juvia though.

Juvia's heartbeat slowed. Grief settled in as she took in the fact that Sol was just stabbed, almost killed. She herself almost died too. The anxiety settled and the injuries sustained caused her to pass out.

Nel and Harribel took their first step, and immediately fell to the side as the entire guild shook, started going backwards, and finally shook immensely. The guild was on its back now. They picked themselves up and dusted themselves off. They started walking towards Jose's office.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

In the grim sands of Hueco Mundo, not far off from Las Noches was where Grimmjow and Ichigo landed. Ichigo was thrown into a nearby sand dune by Grimmjow, impacting it hard. Out of the plume of desert sand emerged Ichigo, limiter off and Zangetsus drawn. He rushed at Grimmjow, crossing his blades in an X-shape. "You that eager to get your ass kicked again Grimmjow?"

"Don't think you're stronger than me just cause you kicked Aizen's ass! I trained the entire time so I could kill you!" Grimmjow blocked Ichigo's furious swipes with his sword, his arm being pushed back slightly more with each strike. "I'm sick of you acting like as if you're some hot shit! You're not strong damn it!" Grimmjow pushed Ichigo's blades away.

"You're in denial Grimmjow! You'd best get your head straight or I'll bash some sense into you." Ichigo continued his frontal attack of blades. Granted, he was not very proficient in it. He'd just recently gotten them and wielding two at the same time felt clunky and disorganized. So far he'd only swing with his right like he used to and use his left almost exclusively to block strikes. There were times he'd catch himself wanting to hold the blade in his right with both hands and swing it like the old Zangetsu.

"You're gonna fuckin' die trying!" Grimmjow parried Ichigo's wild chop before kicking his knee, making him buckle. He sliced downward at Ichigo's neck.

Ichigo sped out of the position, to the back of Grimmjow. He stabbed his left sword into Grimmjow's shoulder and held on tight, channelling his reiatsu. Grimmjow growled in pain before he twisted himself free of the sword. He spun around and tried to slash at Ichigo, only to realise he wasn't there anymore.

He looked around, left and right, back and front. He saw nothing.

" **Getsuga Jujisho!** "

Grimmjow heard the shout from above and saw the x-shaped projectile of doom heading his way. He charged a quick **Cero** and shot it before trying to dodge. He knew the cero wouldn't hold its own against the attack, he just needed to slow it down a little.

Ichigo's attack hit the ground and caused a huge explosion. The sand flew, making Ichigo cover his eyes. He heard a buzz and saw Grimmjow appear at another point in the desert, his left arm burnt.

"Willing to give up yet?" Ichigo taunted.

"In your damn dreams." Grimmjow's healing kicked in and he stood upright once more. His eyes were now focused, a stark difference to the angry primal look he had at the start of the fight.

Ichigo started taking the fight more seriously. Both fighters sped at each other, blades crashing before powering through and appearing at the other side. It was like watching two bolts of lightning pass each other.

They clashed once more, Ichigo applied a new technique though. He spun mid dash, resembling a spinning saw, he sliced at Grimmjow savagely. He clanged against the blades, making Grimmjow stumble backwards, before grabbing his throat and tossing him into the air. Ichigo launched a quick **Getsuga** from his right before literally throwing his left at where he thought Grimmjow would dodge. The plan worked spectacularly. Grimmjow dashed to his left, right where Ichigo predicted. The sword embedded itself in his right calf. Ichigo **Shunpo'd** behind Grimmjow, his blade already glowing a strong blue. " **Getsuga Tensho!** "

The blue arc of power smashed into Grimmjow's back, sending him plummeting to the sands below. The impact raised a tower of dust. Ichigo walked on the air downwards, picking up his misplaced sword stuck in the ground. He watched the aftermath settle and saw Grimmjow kneeling. He looked worse for wear, missing an entire chunk in his right side and an arm.

"You can't win me Grimmjow. You might have in the past but not now. Never again. You think you're the only one who trained and got stronger? Quit lying to yourself. You will never reach my level." Ichigo spoke harshly, wanting his nemesis to give up on trying to fight him every time.

"Shut the fuck up! You're nothing but a freak with reiatsu. You're nothing. You're garbage and I plan to prove it to you. If only so I can wipe that look of your face. That smug pitying look. I fuckin' hate it!" Grimmjow slowly got up with each word, his grip tightening and jaw clenching. " **Grind: Pantera!** "

Wind picked up speed around the combatants, circling Grimmjow as his appearance started to morph. His canines grew, and so did his claws. The hard and sturdy shell Hollow skin engulfed his body, becoming almost like a second layer of skin. Weirdly enough, his eye shadow lengthened as well.

He breathed heavy, a small cloud being puffed out every time.

Blue veins made their appearance on both of Ichigo's arms as he stared down the feral man.

He beckoned Grimmjow, curling his fingers twice.

Grimmjow launched himself at Ichigo at a terrifying speed. More than twice as fast as before, it was very evident Grimmjow trained this part of himself just as much too. He clawed at Ichigo viciously and quickly, not leaving him any room to counter attack.

Ichigo kept blocking, unable to do anything else for the moment. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a dot of blood on Grimmjow's hand. His eyes widened as he tried to disengage as fast as he could. But a claw grabbed onto his shoulder before he could and he felt Grimmjow strike his mid-section with his other hand. He felt the heat of the **Gran Rey Cero** forming. He tightened his body and braced for the impact.

" **Gran Rey Cero**!" The beam of blue energy sent Ichigo flying. His coat smoking from the heat. He landed roughly into a dune.

"How does that feel huh? Stronger than before isn't it?! Hahaha!" Grimmjow cackled. "Hey! Here's another blast from the past! **Garra de la Pantera**!" spikes launched out of his elbow at Ichigo.

Ichigo recognized those. They had the potential to each destroy a skyscraper sized building. And that was in the past. He popped a few joints and imbued his blades with his energy. He dashed at them cutting them in half with a few quick slices. They exploded mid-air. "If we're talking about the past, you might remember this too Grimmjow."

Two red marking appeared under Ichigo's right eye, on his cheek. Reminiscent of his old Hollow mask markings. His right eye's sclera turned black and his pupils a sick yellow.

"That annoying shit again huh? Weird seeing that without the mask." Grimmjow commented.

"Pretty handy when you're partners with a hollow." Ichigo smirked. It was a skill his Zanpaktou gave him. It functioned much like his old mask, just on a smaller scale. He could still pull out the mask if he wanted to give a tremendous boost, but this fight wouldn't require it. He was only recently taught it. Though it came with a few benefits, such as the addition of **Sonido** into his speed belt, **Hierro** , and **Pesquisa**. **Cero** and **Bala** were still off limits though, he'd have to get much more proficient with his skills before he could do that just in his base form.

"You almost died keeping it up last time, I hope you're more of a challenge now." Grimmjow launched another flurry of bolts from his elbow before speeding at Ichigo. He almost clawed out his throat before he hit sand. He was bewildered. No way he dodged that fast. He felt metal tapping his cheek.

"Looking for me?" Ichigo taunted.

Grimmjow spun, slashing at the same time. But he didn't notice anything there.

"Over here~" Ichigo sung.

Grimmjow spun again, were his senses playing tricks? He heard him from the left but while spinning he saw him on the right, and how he was nowhere. He felt pain explode from his gut. He looked down and saw Zangetsu jutting out of his abdomen. He quickly clutched it and launched a **Cero** backwards. He looked back to see nothing before turning to see Ichigo in his face.

"Quick aren't I? Wanna' give up now?"

"Fuck off!" Grimmjow sent another Cero. He saw it impact Ichigo but it went right through. 'Afterimage?'

He felt the sword get pulled out of his midsection, the pain spiked through his being.

Grimmjow growled, he crouched low and his claws were at the ready. He just had to wait for the opportune moment. He knew his sensing was off so he didn't bother. He'd just have to rely on instinct. And his gut told him he'd be right… there!

" **Desgarron!** " He swiped with all ten of the monstrously strong claws. And he was right. Unfortunately, Ichigo was grinning.

"Same as always Grimmjow? **Getsuga Jujisho** " The crossed blades launched at full power, the attack flew straight at Grimmjow. And he couldn't dodge it either. His **Desgarron** blades shattered against the crossed fangs. "Tch…" was all Grimmjow had to say.

An explosion rocked Hueco Mundo. Sending tremors all around. It scared off weaker hollows and it intrigued the strong.

Ichigo bent down to pick up Grimmjow's torso before he **Shunpo'ed** to Las Noches to open up a **Garganta** to the Soul Society. It was where the entrance to the **Senkaimon** to Earthland was transported to after all.

Yoruichi breathed a sigh of relief for Ichigo, before dashing after him. She was impressed with the kid's skills, but she was worried for his heart.

Makarov and the guild had a brawl of epic proportions. The Karakura bunch could only compare it to the mega monster movies they've watched in cinemas. Godzilla being the prime example.

It was a titanic slugfest between the two. The robotic guild threw some good hooks and crosses every now and then, Makarov hit it with a few of his own shots to its body and dome.

Makarov started hopping lightly, like many would see in professional boxing matches. He held his fists up, left one in front of his shoulder region and right one pressed against his cheek. He breathed hard, sweat dripped down his forehead.

The guild threw a jab, Makarov leaned back and avoided it. It reset its arm before throwing another quick one, this one lightly grazing Makarov's cheek.

Makarov kept his body tight, ready to explode at any moment. He waited for the opportune time.

'Wait…' The guild threw a cross into a lead hook, the cross was blocked and the hook was evaded by a duck.

'Wait…' Makarov leaned back to avoid a hook and tightened his side to absorb the impact of the body shot by the guild. Before he could grab on, the guild moved back.

'Wait…' The guild tested the distance with a few jabs before deciding to move in with a combo. It crossed with its right, Makarov dodged. It threw a hook to his head which was blocked before it threw a hook to the body which was eaten by Makarov. It went in for another hook to Makarov's head, believing him to be injured from the body shot. 'Heh, gotcha!' Makarov ducked under the hook and stepped to the side, leaving the guild in an awkward position before Makarov threw a straight right into its 'cheek' and following that up with a uppercut into its body before delivering a right hook to its head.

And a left hook.

Right body shot.

Left body shot. It was bent over now.

To finish it off, Makarov threw a perfect uppercut into it's bent over head.

Makarov held the pose for a second, the victorious titan grinned.

The guild fell backwards onto the ground, almost flattening a whole are of the forest. It stayed there, unable to get up. It sustained too much damage to the main control area. Parts of the head also flew out when Makarov punched it. Akin to a spray of blood, spit, and sweat when boxers get hit. Nuts and bolts flew everywhere.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 **[A/N] *sniffles* I'm so sorry my loyal readers! I really do feel guilty about the absence. As for the reason why? School started in April. And its been really really hectic. The time I have for writing had to be cut unfortunately. But now that it's the holidays, and I've gotten more situated to my school, do expect chapters again. It will take a while for each to be uploaded though, sorry bout that.**

 **For some review reviewing!**

 **FORGEmaster: Thanks for the concern, nothing major like health problems. Just a boat load of school stuff. Sorry…**

 **DoctorKnight: Arigato! I'm glad you enjoyed.**

 **Winged Serpent Of Light BOTM: I'll try my best to… ;-;**

 **Guest(Apr 10): Well, no… In order to get magic you need to have a magic container. Which Ichigo and many other humans in Earthland, don't.**

 **Arraia : Thank you, but I don't think this was the "soon" you expected.**

 **Noondark : stay tuned!**

 **Infernalhavoc: Thank you. And yes, they were hard to keep in character. You would not believe the amount of times I wanted to make Gin into a comedy piece…**

 **-  
Zathol: Danke! How do you think the girls would react? XD**

 **Goost: As always, my longest writing reviewer! I'm glad you saw it the Kubo way when it comes to Gin. I never pictured him as the lovable type, funny? sure, but prince charming? no… Regarding your thoughts on the previous chapter I sort of saw it as you stating your thoughts and opinions rather than telling me something directly. Plus I don't really have any comment for it.. T.T**

 **And yes, I wanted Ichigo to get over the whole tip toe attitude with the council, because it was quite frankly not that fun to write really. I would love to start building a relationship between the realms, perhaps in terms of trade or the such, rather than leave it as a secret. It seems more fun that way doesn't it?**

 **And gosh no, I wouldn't do that to Rangiku. No, no, she is gonna keep Gin to herself and only herself.**

 **Thank you, and sorry to have disappointed with the long waiting time for the chapter.**

 **Cael Heres: See above for explanation for reveal. Thank you for the kind words and do enjoy the chapter c:**

 **Till next time peeps! Thank you to all of you for staying such loyal readers nad following me through thick and thin. I'll try to make up for lost time but I might not be able to, do be patient with me. Thank you!**


	15. Chapter 15

The sight that greeted Ichigo certainly was not the one he was expecting to see. He walked out of his guild doors to see the previously tiny and now huge Makarov uppercut a giant robot guild. He rubbed his eyes and blinked twice. 'What the hell happened here…?'

He looked around and noticed shadowy figures being eliminated by a flurry of arrows and Chad's El Directos. The guild was fighting something, but what it was he had no clue. His mind wandered for a bit before he remembered the weight in his grasp. 'Oh yeah! Shit!'

His eyes darted side to side, spotting the auburn head of hair. "Orihime!" He sped himself next to her.

"Eep!" Orihime was spooked by the sudden appearance of Ichigo. "Kurosaki-kun? You scared me…"

"Sorry, but it's kinda urgent." He gestured with the hand holding Grimmjow, or at least what was left of him. "I need you to heal him. Not too much though, just make sure he can survive. Leave him unconscious."

"Eh?! What happened?!" She immediately put her fingers to her pins and let them fly. They covered Grimmjow's mangled torso and began their miracle.

"He took our "spar" way too seriously. Had to stop him. Speaking of which, I need to beat Kisuke's face in later for not letting me know prior." He shook his head "Nevermind that, what the hell is going on here?! When we left it was still fine."

Orihime furrowed her brows, "Some guild called Phantom Lord started a guild war with us. We're not sure why. Kisuke already sent Nel-chan, Harribel-san, and Ichimaru in to stop it. Some Fairy Tail members went too."

'No formalities for Gin? I guess she still hates him. Can't blame her either, I don't like the bastard in the slightest….' Ichigo looked back at the giant robotic guild. 'Stop it huh? Nel will probably show mercy… Harribel might show some pity for the weak… Gin's gonna outright murder the guy… I hope Nel reaches the guild master first.' He pivoted himself to face the enemy guild and crouched slightly. "I'm gonna go and help too, take Grimmjow's body into the guild and heal him there. You'll be safer in there than out here."

"Wait Kurosaki-kun! Your limiter still isn't on!" Orihime tried to warn Ichigo.

"Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder!" He focused on building the limiter back. The rhombus took shape and he felt weaker once more.

'Ugh… I forgot about that thing…' Ichigo dreadfully thought. The amount that got restrained was immense for Ichigo.

"You are over your spar with Grimmjow, Ichigo. You what that means don't you?" The inner quincy echoed in his mind.

'Of course, I do.' Ichigo replied like a child being nagged.

" **I'm happy for now after the fight partner but the next time I get out it better not be like that demon fight."**

'Yeah, yeah, whatever.' He shut off the voices in his head and materialised the bow into his hand. He focused some Reishi beneath his feet and he sped off. Gone in a flash.

Uryu and Chad both took a moment to look in the direction he went to after they felt him nearby. They'd talk to him later, currently they had more pressing issues. Kisuke started sweating bullets for what was to come after this fiasco was over.

Seeing no obvious entrance to the guild that Ichigo just flashed next to, he decided to make one. He pulled a fist back and swung. The wall positively exploded, sending chunks of rock everywhere on the inside.

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** "

" **Circle Sword!** "

Ichigo was surprised to hear those phrases. He knew them well. He was even more surprised when he saw both attacks coming right at him. He caught Natsu's fist his with right hand and dodged Erza's attack narrowly.

"Eh?! Ichigo? What'cha doin' here?" Natsu asked, still being held up by Ichigo.

"Ichigo-san? My apologies I thought you were an enemy." Erza walked up to the duo.

The vein on Ichigo's forehead throbbed slightly before he took a deep breath and let Natsu down. "I'm here to find Phantom Lord's guild master. I intend to stop this fight."

"Hey, we're here to do that too! Wanna look for him together?!" Natsu cheerily asked.

"I would but I'm on a short fuse, I need to find him fast. Unless you can keep up with me, stay out the way." He dashed with Hirenkyaku to the other side of the hall way.

"Ichigo-san! Wait!" Erza shouted after him.

He stopped for a second. Turning his head back slightly to hear what Erza had to say.

"Follow us, we might not be able to keep up with your speed but we know the place. Instead of running around the entire guild just stick with us." Erza's steely eyes simmered with care and caution for her new friend. She outstretched her hand.

"Tch… Fine…" Ichigo sped back next to the pair.

"Ah, the sweet bonds of friendship. How cute. How naïve." Jose's voice rang in their ears. Footsteps could be heard as he walked up to full view. "I'm surprised you're here, not the blue haired one." He spoke to Ichigo.

"Grimmjow is out of commission at the moment." Ichigo squared off against the mustachio. Natsu sniffed the air, "He ain't the only one here…" *sniff* "Behind us!" Natsu spun. He saw Gajeel drop down from the ceiling.

"Gihi, Salamander huh? Heard you're a dragon slayer. Certainly not a lie if the nose is any indication. Boy I'm gonna have fun beating the shit out of you." His hand turned into a mace of iron.

"Black steel Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer." Commented Erza. "Natsu, you take him out. I'll face Jose."

"Ahem, I'm here too you know." Ichigo quipped.

"Ah! Um… Of course. I meant _we_ will face Jose." A guilty chuckle accompanied her words.

Jose smirked. "How cute. You three have not yet realized how unfair this fight is going to be."

"Well yeah… I could smash you and that emo over there on my own." Ichigo quipped, pointing his thumb back at Gajeel.

"A cocky one I see… Gajeel, make quick work of the Salamander. If you finish quick enough I'll save one of these two fools for you." Jose instructed as got into fighting stance.

"Heh, you'd better save one. C'mere!" He grabbed tackled Natsu into another room.

"Now then, I'm left with you two roaches." His magic started oozing out of him. His eyes darkened to purple pupils and black sclera. "The mighty Titania, and the Killer of Lullaby. I'm about to prove to the world you two are merely frauds. Nothing but fakes and flukes."

"That so? I don't know about Erza here but I have no idea when that little nickname of me started floating around." Ichigo dispelled his bow for now. "But if it's a good old ass beating you want, it's an ass beating you're gonna get."

Ichigo focused his reiatsu into his veins. Red lines appeared throughout his body.

"Ichigo, what are you doing? Where is your weapon?" Erza questioned, her armor and sword already ready to go.

Ichigo clenched his hand into a fist and pulled it back. "Right here."

He dashed at Jose, lauching a hard punch.

Jose was shocked by the speed the boy travelled at, but reacted appropriately. A wall of shades blocked the attack for him before he countered with his own. "Weak. **Dead Wave!** "

The spell struck Ichigo straight in the chest, knocking some wind out of him.

"How'd that feel? Not so- "Jose cut himself short and ducked. Erza sword narrowly passed by where his chest would have been. "Now, now that's just bad manners." He launched a combo of punches and kicks, all either expertly blocked or dodged by Erza.

His fist was grabbed by Erza's hand, leaving one still open. He grinned. " **Dark Wa-** "he was interrupted by an immensely powerful kick to the back of his head launched him straight down to his floor. His impact left a crater in the intricate marble flooring.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to beat a girl?" Ichigo taunted.

'Don't get too cocky Ichigo. He is still a guild master. I would suggest practising your Quincy form against him.'

'Tch, fine…' Ichigo sighed.

Listening to the wisest of the entities in his mind, he formed his bow. A weight that now felt comfortable to have.

Jose pulled himself out of the crater, popping his joints. "Now I really want to kill you."

"You can try. Many have, none succeeded." Ichigo taunted, now launching arrow after arrow at Jose's panicking form as he tried to dodge them.

' **Im pretty sure that's a lie partner…'**

'Shh, no one has to know.'

' **Dumbass…** '

'Dodge.' Muttered the old man.

Reflexively, Ichigo bent forwards. Erza appeared, flying straight past Ichigo with sword in hand. She swiped viciously at Jose's neck, who had to lean back an inhuman amount to dodge it.

He fired off more spells of his own at the airborne Erza. Beams and orbs of Shade Magic were thrown around like no tomorrow, trying to hit the pesky red head. He finally got a lead on her and would have landed his spell if it weren't for the need to dodge an arrow.

"My, my… You two are quite troublesome. The agile melee fighter is backed up by the strong ranged fighter. A strong pair indeed." Jose commented, smirking. As far as he cared, he was enjoying this fight. He hadn't gotten a good match like this in ages… Ever since he became the guild master of Phantom Lord, it was paper work this and paper work that. There was never an opportunity for him to really let loose. So, he planned to savour this moment.

"Let's see how you like to be on the receiving end of aggression!" He started oozing dark purple magical energy. It covered the floor in a way slime would. Ichigo could sense the danger in it so he backed off, finding a ledge to position himself upon.

The slimy substance started crawling up the walls as well, turning the hall way into Jose's very own battle arena.

The smirk on his face grew as the substance ran down his arms now, covering it like a sleeve and glove.

"And here I thought you couldn't get any more disgusting…" Ichigo quipped, firing an arrow at Jose's chest.

Unexpectedly, Jose just flicked a finger upwards and a wall of the ooze blocked the arrow for him. Granted, it was obliterated, but the chunks that went flying just re-joined with itself. "Let me show you what a truly troublesome assault is."

He waved his hand and spikes shot out from the wall at Ichigo and Erza. Ichigo dodged in time but one of Erza's wings got nicked. She was floating awkwardly now, unbalanced from the defect wing. But she couldn't let herself touch the ground. Not when it was covered with that stuff.

Ichigo didn't have the time to worry about Erza at the moment. Jose kept the pressure on him. Constantly making gestures which shot out spikes and blades from all around the area. He could try shooting arrows at Jose but they always ended up getting blocked. And with his relative newness to his quincy powers, he couldn't charge a Licht Regen and dodge at the same time or else he'd lose control of it. 'I should have fought the other guy…'

Erza wasn't managing as well as Ichigo though however. Her armor and wings got damaged even more. Her shoulder armor had a significant dent in it from being hit once.

"Having fun?" Jose taunted. Another wave of the hands and a huge axe blade shot out from the ceiling straight down at Ichigo.

"Tch… This is nothing compared to what I've fought in the past. You're just a cheap imitation." He fought Senbonzakura and bested its owner before he even met Aizen for god's sake, there's no way he would lose to this mockery.

"Erza, change into your fastest aerial armor, you don't have to attack. Just dodge." He instructed. He had a plan. It was the same thing he did with all his other opponents but it was still a plan damn it.

"Wha-what are you talking about? You can't possibly ask me to leave him up to you." Erza complied however, changing into her Flight Armor.

"Just trust me I have a plan." The hard gaze in his eyes notified Erza of his will.

"… fine." She took the backseat and rested. Her previous attacks all ended in vain, no point in tiring herself out even more. The dodging would be child's play now that she had the Flight Armor on. Though it didn't have any ranged combat option except for a spell or two. So, she had to entrust Ichigo with taking this man down.

"Alright you creep, let's do this." Ichigo grinned.

"Oh hoh, I do wonder what kind of plan you managed to concoct from all the time I so generously gave you." Jose looked interested.

"Gave me?" Ichigo raised a brow.

"Did you really think this was all I could do? You dumb, arrogant child." Jose snorted.

Slender arms started reaching out from the walls slowly, pushing out shadowy forms from the wall. They dropped like bricks onto the ground and got up sluggishly. They were not big by any means, reaching up to Ichigo's thigh in height, and looked like a black oval with only a mouth had grown long noodle like arms and short stubby legs. Their most defining feature was their mouth. It stretched almost the entire width of their body and it gaped open, revealing a large cartoonish set of human teeth and a red tongue.

Ichigo and Erza backed away from the creatures that now filled almost the entire room.

"They might look like something out of a child's bedtime story, but these little guys are lethal in these kinds of numbers." Jose arrogantly talked, striding to one of them and patting its 'head'. "Welcome to my ultimate spell, **Shade Swarmer**."

Ichigo shot an arrow faster than the blink of an eye directed straight at Jose's chest. He stood firm though, the reason became clear the closer the arrow got. One of his shade minions jumped into its path, exploding from the arrow but leaving its master unharmed. It splattered over the wall in purple goo that reformed back into itself, grinning with its tongue hanging out to the side.

"God damn, you are disgusting…" quipped Ichigo.

"This is what overwhelming power looks like boy. I shall let your guild master you died fighting like a man." Jose lifted his hand and a magic circle formed.

Ichigo wouldn't have been concerned if it wasn't for the fact that all of Jose's little minions opened their mouths wide and magic circles appeared in front of each one. He glimpsed at Jose and saw the murderous glee in his eyes.

" **Dead Wave!** "

The simultaneous attacks were launched against the duo. Time slowed in Ichigo's mind. He saw the beams approaching them, and Erza was in the middle of changing armors. But it wouldn't work. She was too slow. They would hit her first based on the trajectory. He knew he could take it and survive but he wasn't sure about Erza.

'Damn it! Let me reach in time!' He focused hard and pulled with all his might.

He ended up in front of Erza, his back facing Jose as he was staring her straight in the eye. He saw the slight widening of her eyes and the shock in them. He smiled slightly. Then the beams all hit.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Natsu shoved Gajeel off himself and kicked away, getting into his regular stance. "Why the hell are you attacking them?"

"Ain't none of ya business Salamnder. Now shut the hell up and give me a good fight." His arm transformed into a metal club and he dashed at Natsu, swinging it at his midsection.

Natsu blocked with his forearms, definitely bruising them in the process, before grabbing the same arm and throwing him over his shoulder and launching his own attack in the form of a fire enhanced kick.

Gajeel caught Natsu's foot and twisted him slightly, making Natsu's face a wide-open target before he smashed his fist in it. Natsu flew slightly but was able to stop himself, gliding slightly along the floor from the momentum.

'This bastard isn't playing fair damn it… His hands are weapons! Wait a minute…' Natsu ignited his hands and feet. "Now its fair!"

Gajeel snorted, "Took ya awhile to think of that ya dumbass."

He charged at his fiery counter-part with a sharpened lance of iron. Natsu managed to side step it, and proceeded to delivering an elbow into Gajeel's back and a vicious kick into his gut.

"Heh, not bad Salamander. But I get the slight feelin' that you're holding back on me. **Iron Dragon's Roar!** " Gajeel sucked in as much air into his lungs and possible before letting go of his breath attack, launching a violent storm of steel shrapnel at Natsu.

Natsu countered with his own breath attack, meeting Gajeel's halfway. Both dragonslayers put more power into their attacks to try and beat out the opponent's, with Natsu's slowly gaining an edge.

Gajeel saw this and scowled. He broke off the breath and dashed straight at Natsu, jumping into the air slightly and sending his metal club straight at Natsu by elongating it.

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** " Natsu punched at the incoming club, halting it and burning it slightly.

Gajeel retracted it back and landed in the same position as they had started.

"Ya know, this is getting us nowhere. It's no fun if ya don't take me seriously Salamander. Do I gotta trash that guild of yours before you finally do? " Gajeel taunted.

"Don't you dare you pile of scrap metal." Natsu puffed smoke out of his nose.

"Hmm, maybe I will, seems like you aren't taking this seriously enough." Gajeel destroyed the back wall with his club, and prepared to jump out the guild and straight to Fairy Tail.

He was prepared to jump, but he had to duck to dodge a fierce punch from Natsu.

"You're not going anywhere nuts and bolts."

"Gi hi hi, finally." Gajeel arms started taking a metallic colour.

" **Iron Dragon's Sword** " He leapt at Natsu with the chainsaw like appendage, eager to cleave the other into two. Natsu dodged from side to side before trying to retaliate.

" **Fire Dragon's Talon** " He jumped to dodge a swing from the iron dragon slayer before launching a kick into his face. Gajeel was propelled back and Natsu was not going to give him any time to rest. " **Fire Dragon's Roar** " He spit fire at Gajeel before ducking below the flames and dashing below the unsuspecting Gajeel.

Gajeel blocked the breath just fine with his arms but he didn't notice Natsu below him and received a harsh uppercut for the mistake. He bled slightly from his lips.

"You bastard!" Gajeel grabbed one of Natsu's legs and swung him downward, smashing Natsu into the ground. He then slammed his blade into Natsu's collapsed form. Natsu tried to get up slowly, raising his head and pushing himself up with his hands only to have his face meet the ground once more when Gajeel grabbed it and made him eat dirt.

"What happened to the tough guy act huh? C'mon Salamander, fight me! Gi hi hi." He cackled, but he felt Natsu grab his wrist. "What'cha gonna do now? Beg me to let go?"

He felt heat though. Intense heat. It took a second but Gajeel's body was covered in Natsu's flames.

He backed off. His iron skin cracked and pieces of his fell, they were too brittle now.

Natsu picked himself back up. "I'm just getting started, you lousy junkyard." Natsu enveloped his body in flames.

Gajeel refreshed his iron skin, now covering his entire body. "You can't hurt me kid."

Natsu lit a flame in his hand. "Wanna try?"

Gajeel leered at him before the two took off. They slammed their fists into each other's, not feeling any pain. Natsu shot a hook at Gajeel's left temple which he blocked and tried to parry with a kick to Natsu's ribs.

Natsu dodged and pulled away from Gajeel before launching another fire breath attack and jumping high into the air.

Gajeel countered with his own breath. But while he was occupied with it he didn't notice the chant.

"With the flames of destruction in my right hand…"

"And the flames of destruction in my left…"

" **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!** " He threw the giant fireball at Gajeel.

Gajeel couldn't block the entire attack, but he still tried to shield himself from his using his arms. He was still standing after the explosion of fire but his iron scales were damaged horribly and he had burns running along his body.

Natsu fell to his knees, panting from the amount of energy and magic he had to use.

Gajeel looked worse for wear though. But he caught something from the corner of his eye. He saw a piece of metal sticking out from the ground, most likely due to the damage the ground received from Natsu.

He broke off what looked to be a decently sized pipe and devoured the metal. His scales growing back in tandem.

"Gi hi hi… You have nothing left in you Salamander." He kicked Natsu's exhausted form in the gut, making him roll a few rounds on the ground.

"At least you were an exciting fight for the most part. Now then, die! **Iron Dragon's Sword!** "

He jumped eagerly at Natsu, the chainsaw blade already spinning and hungry for flesh.

The blade embedded itself into Natsu's shoulder and Gajeel ecstatically ripped it out, the jagged edges tearing off more flesh. Natsu cried out in pain before collapsing onto the ground bleeding.

Gajeel grinned. He transformed his arm back to normal and he started his walk to check out how Jose was doing. He turned and stopped in his tracks.

In the door way stood a peculiar man with white hair. He was tall and slender, masking the enormous strength he had. His eyes were closed and he was smiling cryptically. "Yare, yare… Took you quite some time to finish that fight. And what a boring fight it was…"

"Who the fuck are you?!" Gajeel immediately brought his sword out again. For some reason, his heart started pumping hard, and adrenalin filled his whole body. His instincts told him the man was dangerous but he didn't understand why,

"Name's Gin. Originally, I came here ta' kill ya guild master but seeing as he's occupied with my stupidly strong acquaintance, I don't exactly have a need to go and interrupt a nice fight now do I? So, my stony lonesome self wandered these halls for an activity to do ya see. I was getting' bored. And what do ya know? I stumble across you two fighting and I just had to watch."

Gin began his slowly shuffle towards Gajeel. For every step he took forward, Gajeel took one back.

Something wasn't adding up in Gajeel's mind. "Wait, if you're here to go after Jose, then you must be Salamander's pal right? Why didn't ya stop me?"

"Hmm?" Gin raised an eyebrow, "who said I was his pal? I certainly never did. Just because I wanna kill your pesky guild master doesn't mean I'm buddy buddy with anyone else that wants to."

"So, what the hell do you want with me?" Gajeel took a cautionary step backwards and gulped.

Gin smiled wider, "Why, thank you of course!"

Gajeel almost choked on his spit. "Thank me?! For what?!"

"For helping to take out one of Fairy Tail's stronger mages of course. It saves me from doing it myself. Besides, if he's in this condition then there's no way they can try fighting us until he recovers. But sadly, you've served your accidental purpose already… It was fun knowing you Gajeel Redfox." Gin reached into his coat.

"How do you know my name?!" Gajeel yelled.

"You did well kid, now then, time to sleep." Gin turned slightly and used his coat to block sight of his sword.

Gajeel instantly knew something was wrong. He put his arms up and moved his body to the left slightly. He didn't even have the time to process the fact that a blade suddenly pierced through both metal arms and his body, reaching out to the wall. He didn't even notice the blade retract.

He only knew he saw the guy turn and he put up his arms. After that he ended up on the floor bleeding out. Thankfully the blade missed his heart. He lost consciousness and fell into dark slumber.

It was a pitiful sight that was painted. Two dragon slayers bleeding out from sword wounds on the same floor.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ichigo grit his teeth hard and flexed his back. He could see Erza's expression morph into horror, he felt slightly guilty. He knew first-hand how it felt to be in her shoes. But he'd rather take a scolding and frown from her over her last words any day.

The beams almost removed all the clothing he had on his back, burning a hole in his coat and Shinigami robes. They stopped short at his skin however. His **Blut** saved him from taking too much damage, but his limiter was not doing much good for him. The skin was burnt and the flesh was bruised. Nothing to worry about except for the pain.

'Damn limiter… That bastard's magic probably can't even scratch me if I'd been normal.'

'And you could have made a better **Blut** , don't blame external affairs on something you could have prevented yourself. If anything, you should be practising your **Blut** at all times, target different areas in your body and constantly have it on. It will train you in being familiar with the technique and your body will be more used to it. It is time for you to stop playing around and finish him off though. Complete this joke of a fight. _Now_."

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the lecturing.

He double checked Erza to ensure she was still alright. Her jaw hung open and her eyes betrayed the disbelief she felt but otherwise she was completely unharmed.

"Wha.. How? I-I… You didn't…" Erza wasn't quite sure how to string a sentence together again.

He reached out and ruffled her hair a little, "Would you relax? I'm a lot stronger than you think. Believe in me."

He grabbed her arm and bolted to the side, dodging an incoming spike.

"Don't you have any manners? Don't interrupt people when they're speaking." Ichigo scolded, shaking his head side to side to mock Jose.

"Silence child! How did you just take all that and come out unharmed?! Who the hell are you?!" Jose yelled, panic evident in his face now. He gestured madly, desperately trying to impale Ichigo on his wall spikes. He breathed hard, apparently keeping up the constant use of the magic in the environment and the last onslaught of spells took everything out of him.

"You know… If arrows can't hit you properly, I guess I have to resort to my old ways huh?" Ichigo commented.

"What do you mean?!" Jose shouted, worried. He backpedalled away from Ichigo.

Ichigo let his grip on his bow loosen slightly, letting it drop down until he grabbed hold of it by its end. He took two steps toward Jose and just as another spike launched at him, he disappeared.

He appeared next to Jose.

Jose gasped and tried to get out of the way, jumping backwards. A shade minion jumping in front of its master.

Ichigo punched the shade minion and it splattered over the room. He grabbed the bow with his other hand also and swung it like a baseball bat. The other end of the bow connected with Jose's jaw, producing a resounding crack. While Jose was dazed, Ichigo readied his bow again and swung it into Jose's gut, launching his upwards. He jumped after him, his bow already hoisted above him. He rose above the floating Jose, and swung down hard, bashing the bow into Jose's spine and making crash into the ground like a comet. He stayed in the air and readied his bow. He pulled back and fired twice in quick succession.

As soon as Jose crashed into the ground hard enough to form a crater, an arrow impaled his left calf, sticking it to the ground. The same thing happened to his right shoulder.

Ichigo went down and noticed that the purple goo that occupied the entire vicinity was now slowly disappearing. He took a glance towards Jose and saw that he was knocked out cold. He was bleeding from the mouth, and other areas and he was missing a few teeth, but he'd survive.

He looked back towards the silent Erza. She was still in her Flight Armour. She shook her head and fixed her hair and walked up to Ichigo. And slapped his cheek. Hard.

Ichigo had a comically red hand mark on his face now. He scowled before yelling, "What the hell was that for?!"

"That was for completely abandoning your own safety! I don't care how strong you are or if you can handle it or not! You just completely disregard your own safety!"

Her voice broke slightly and each word was becoming hoarser than before. "During the Lullaby mission it was the same thing… You just went ahead on your own for Erigor, then Lullaby itself! Did you know how worried I was when I recognized it was you in front of me! When you blocked those spells?! And you still had the gall to smile?!" Erza yelled back.

Ichigo took her words in quietly. He had a look of stone on the outside with his perpetual scowl. But he processed the words in his heart. The gears in his head turned with each word she spoke. When she finished, he sighed. "I'm not sorry."

She breathed deep and lowered her head. Her hair blocking her face. "I know you aren't, and that's what makes it so frustrating… Thank you."

Ichigo smiled slightly he patted Erza's shoulder. He walked past her towards the exit of the building. "C'mon, our work is done. Let's go pick up the rest."

Erza followed behind him, still silent but back to her usual self.

The click clack of shoes snapped Ichigo back into seriousness however. His ears perked and he stared silently at the hallway where it was coming from. He readied his bow.

First he saw white shoes and pants before he saw Nel and Harribel come into view.

"Eh?! Nel? Harribel?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"Oh! Itsygo!" Nel launched herself at Ichigo with open arms.

"Ichigo." Harribel nodded to his direction to acknowledge him.

Nel squeezed Ichigo with all her might, finally taking some comfort in his presence.

"A little… Late… We took… Care of… Jose… Already…" Ichigo managed to wheeze those words out.

Harribel raised an eyebrow and titled herself to the side and saw Jose's pinned body. "I see… Well, if we are done then let us get back to the guild and rest."

She noticed Erza and the look of deep thought on her face, but he chose not to comment. She looked back into Ichigo's eyes and stared into the hazel windows, sensing the firm and undeterred feeling she got from looking at them, she concluded that nothing was wrong. She closed her eyes and turned on her heels before sighing. "Let's get going."

"Wait! Natsu came here with me. Where is he?" Erza questioned.

"Your friend is most likely fine. Let's get going, we still have to report on our success to Urahara." Harribel kept her pace, only turning her head slightly while talking to Erza.

"No, wait a minute!" Erza stopped in her tracks. "You didn't find Natsu on the way here?"

"No, we assure you we did not see that pink haired annoyance anywhere on our way here. He is your friend is he not? Perhaps you should have more faith that he's fine and waiting for the rest of us. If you so insist on finding him, then you are welcome to stay and search but Nel, Ichigo, and I have to report back." She turned her face back forward and dismissed Erza.

"Fine. Go ahead and abandon the person that came to help you." Erza turned her back to the group and walked off, starting her search for Natsu.

Harribel gripped her hilt tightly. She twisted and stalked after Erza. "No one asked for your interference. If anything, you people slowed us down rather than help."

"How dare you say that! Natsu helped you people out of his own good heart and you are suggesting to leave him be until we finish talking to your damn guild master?! What if he's hurt?" Erza matched Harribel.

Harribel drew her sword. Erza swapped her armor.

Ichigo put an arm on Harribel's shoulder to stop her advance. "Calm down Harribel. She's worried for her friend, it's understandable. She is probably feeling the same worry you have for your Fraccion. Give her a break, she's not even used to our way of doing things."

They stared at each other angrily before Harribel broke it off. She gestured toward the exit, "Let's go."

Erza was surprised to see Ichigo turn on his heel. "You too Ichigo? Aren't you the slightest bit worried for him?"

"Of course I am. That's why I ain't going Harribel and Nel." Ichigo sighed. "You two go on ahead and report to Kisuke first. I'm his lieutenant, so hopefully he gives me some leeway to search for Natsu. You check around this area Erza. I'll check the areas ahead."

"So you're choosing your new little group over your duties Ichigo?" Harribel asked. A cool gaze pierced him. Nel's face dropped slightly.

"I'm choosing to help a friend over my duties." Ichigo levelled his scowl back.

"Which friend is that, I wonder?" Harribel left the question in the air, Sonido-ing out of the area.

"I hope your friend is alright… Come back soon 'kay Itsygo?" Nel followed Harribel and Sonido-ed out.

Erza changed her armor patted herself down, tidying her outfit. "Are you sure about this Ichigo? They didn't look too pleased you know."

The scowl was still present on his face. "I'm sure. C'mon, lets hurry up and find him."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Natsu wasn't quite sure what happened. He felt pain erupt from his shoulder then he was on the ground. He channelled magic into his shoulder that was bleeding and he ignited it. The wound closed, stopping the bleeding through self-cauterization. And then the rest was a blur.

He spotted a lump of black on the ground, bleeding out. He saw his own blood too of course. He tried to concentrate on his magic. It was low but it would suffice.

He channelled it all into his shoulder that was bleeding and he ignited it. The wound closed, stopping the bleeding through self-cauterization.

He bit down on his lip hard to contain the pain. He managed to push himself up with the other arm, getting onto all fours. The pain slightly jostled his memories.

He could barely remember what happened after Gajeel won, but he managed to get a few glimpses with the last few seconds of waning consciousness. He saw a blurry black spot, probably Gajeel, and another white spot. After that the black spot collapsed and his vision went black as well.

'Please don't be dead.' Natsu tried to crawl his way over to Gajeel.

He heard the metallic footsteps of boots outside though. The familiar smell hit him and he relaxed. He'd be in good hands now. He took a glance at the door and he saw Erza there, mortified as his condition.

"Hey… Erza…"

"Natsu!" Erza ran over, crouching down beside him and slinging his good arm around her shoulder. "Ichigo! I found him! He's here!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

"What's Ichigo… doin' here?" Natsu asked lazily.

Erza ignored his question, her attention peaked towards the door.

Ichigo appeared at the door almost instantly. He took a look at the room and the sorry condition Natsu was in. "What the hell happened to you?"

Natsu grinned slightly, "Long story…"

"Tch. I knew Erza should have gone with you." Ichigo scolded. He grabbed Natsu by the waist and hoisted him to his feet. "Atta boy, let's go."

"Wait… What about him?" Natsu gestured with his head towards Gajeel. "We can't just leave him there…"

"He was your enemy you know, he tried to hurt you, Erza, your guild, and your guild master." Ichigo told him.

"To hell with that, that's in the past."

Ichigo lcoked eyes with him for a while before nodding. He took his support off Natsu and left him to Erza.

He walked over to Gajeel and picked him up, slinging him over his shoulder. "I like the way you think. Let's get going, I don't think Kisuke and the bunch would appreciate any more waiting."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Ichigo walked out of the impromptu entrance he made and saw the Fourth squad members of his guild attending to the injured. Uryu and Chad were fine, they weren't even winded.

He walked over to one of the Fourth's medics and dropped Gajeel at her feet. "Could you take care of him?"

The medic nodded furiously and set aside a tray of equipment to help the injured dragon slayer.

'Perks of being high rank I guess…' Ichigo thought to himself

Erza had borrowed a roll of gauze, and some disinfectant wipes. "Would you mind if I use your guild's facilities?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Be our guest."

She helped Natsu into the guild, most likely to tend to him in a comfier environment.

"I take it you had some degree of success Ichigo?" Kisuke spoke up behind him.

"Yeah… Jose's in the building, but he's out cold. Besides he's pinned to the floor with two arrows." Ichigo told him.

"Good… Nel and Harribel both excelled at their missions. Gin did as well but I don't think you'd want to hear the details." Kisuke put a hand to his hat and nodded. "You all did well, take a break. I'll give you a week-long vacation to visit your sisters. Take anyone you want."

"Anyone?" Ichigo asked with suspicion in his voice.

"I do mean anyone, our secret was blown already anyways. Doesn't matter much. Just be back by the time the council calls up witnesses for this, you might have to go for another trial. Oh and after that, I'm relying on you to take care of the guild for a bit. I'll be escorting our dear diplomats to Yamamoto."

"More boring shit to do huh? Fine… Oh and Hat-and-Clogs?"

"Yes Ichigo?"

"I haven't forgotten about that 'sparring match' you 'forgot' to tell me about." Ichigo cracked his knuckles.

"Ah… haha…" Kisuke laughed nervously. "…I'll give you a raise?" Kisuke dashed away before Ichigo could punch the daylight out of him.

"How about I give you an ass-beating!" Ichigo dashed after Kisuke in hot pursuit.

 **-l-.-.-.-.-.-**

 **[A/N] Hey there people! Here's another chapter for ya! I know its late, but school's been murdering me with work. But fear not! Vacations are soon, so I should be able to crank out more stuff for you guys more frequently then.**

 **Moving on: Some of you might be confused about Jose in this chapter, because he didn't show these powers in the manga or anime, but I figured I'd add in some of my own flair into him so the fight isn't boring. Moreover he is still a wizard saint after all, so he's bound to be tough to beat. I always found it weird how they didn't really make him stand out for being the first big real threat that is wizard saint level.**

 **Now that the phantom lord arc is over, I plan to move into a few original arcs. I'll tell you what the arcs are about in a few words to get yall excited for it. 1) FT group meets more SS 2) Ichigo's girls get some time to spend with him. I'm still in the midst of thinking about new ideas for original arcs though. Suggestions would be appreciated.**

 **After that is most likely back to a few FT arcs.**

 **As always-**

 **Review responding :D**

 **To Lightningblade49: She got one c:**

 **To Speedyquader: Arigato!**

 **To Arraia: Thank you**

 **To Guest: He fired the infused Getsuga after he used his bankai though. And I don't plan to have Ichigo use Bankai anytime in the near future, considering its pretty much overkill for anything in the FT universe. One of the upcoming things I'd like to do with Ichigo is explore more on building up his Hollow powers. Sort of, making him learn them. Instead of just doing it by instinct during fights where he is hollowfied etc.**

 **To anthony11899: 1) Bleach characters are inherently stronger than FT characters. Look at Yhwach, Ichigo, Yamamoto, Aizen, etc for examples and compare them to some of FT's big hitters like Natsu, Zeref, Makarov, etc.**

 **2) This takes place at the START of FT and after the END of Bleach. Meaning your favorite FT characters are still at the start of their journey to becoming strong.**

 **To Goost: I don't mind long reviews at all! They give me something to chew on while I brainstorm for ideas. In regards to Ichigo's need to eliminate stuff, I'm not going to make it like as if Ichigo suddenly becomes some bloodthirsty savage that's out for blood or anything like some fics do. More than anything I plan to make it a building point towards Ichigo's character and a way to shape it through out the story if need be.**

 **For the Harribel and Nel vs Juvia and Sol scene, yes I was trying to convey what was going on through Nel's eyes.**

 **As for the seperators, I tried adding them in but FF's document manager is not kind to me T.T**

 **To elsaanna67: Uh.. no. I don't do yaoi. Sorry about that…**

 **To FORGEMaster: Yeahhhhhhhhhh…. No.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A Whole New World.**

Erza treated Natsu's wounds in the foreign guild's infirmary. She poured some disinfectant on a cotton pad and gently dabbed at the wound on his shoulder and back. The dragonslayer hissed at the sudden sting.

"Would you stop getting hurt all the time Natsu?" Erza sighed, wrapping Natsu's shoulder in a bandage.

"Can't exactly help it…" Natsu responded lazily. "Besides, you get hurt plenty too ya know."

"It's serious this time Natsu!" Erza raised her voice slightly. "I don't know what he did to you but there was blood everywhere!"

Natsu's brows and ears drooped like a sad puppy, "Thanks for worrying about me… And sorry…"

His ears perked up and look of realization flashed across his face, "Not all the blood was mine though…"

Erza raised a brow, stopping in the middle of the second layer of bandages. "What do you mean?"

Natsu turned his head and looked her in the eye, a serious glint rarely seen shined through. "After Gajeel cut my shoulder, I was on the floor about to pass out. But I still saw him and some other guy in white… I think it was a guild member from Ichigo's guild… They talked a little, the guy said something along the lines of: Thanks for getting rid of him, saves me the trouble of doing it myself…"

Natsu's brows furrowed, frowning. "… And then he stabbed Gajeel in the chest. Then we both blacked out."

"That's quite a serious blow, it could have killed him!" Erza was disgusted in both men, Gajeel and Gin. She finished up the medical procedure, stood up, and brushed herself. "I knew something about him was wrong."

"I think his plan wasn't to kill Gajeel actually. Maybe he just wanted to send a message?" Natsu stood up too, gripping at his injury.

"That's way too overboard for a simple message don't you think? Besides who would he want to send a message to? There was no one else there but Phantom Lord, their guild, and…" Erza came to the final chilling realization. "… and us…"

"Listen Natsu, you and everyone else from the Fairytail guild are prohibited from making contact with that guy. Understood?" Erza stared him straight in the eyes, unwavering in her demand.

Natsu slowly nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Erza nodded, signalling the end of their conversation. "Now then, let's get back to our own guild." She slung her arm around Natsu's waist, helping him walk out.

Erza was just about to pull on the door handle out before someone barged in. She stepped back quickly to avoid getting smacked by the door.

"Eh? Leavin' so fast? Our hospitality ain't good enough fer ya? We even made tea." The menacingly tall frame of white guarded the exit of the infirmary. Gin's closed eyes and wicked smile made Erza's blood run cold.

"We are done with the treatment here, so we see no reason to stay and further burden you people. Thank you very much." Erza politely tried to excuse herself and Natsu before almost frantically hobbling with Natsu in tow out the door. She was stopped in her tracks when Gin planted a hand across the door frame, blocking her from getting out.

She tilted her head slowly and stared hard at Gin's face. "Is there something you need?"

Gin moved his head closer to the pair, opening one eye to stare at Erza. Sky blue pupils never looked scarier.

"Why, as a matter of fact I do! Could you let me know one teensy little fact about your guild? Is some chick named Lucy Heartfillia in it?"

Erza's colour drained from her face. Natsu grit his teeth hard. He opened his mouth but Erza clamped a hand over it. She spoke in his steed, "I don't know that name, we have no such person in our guild."

A drop of cold sweat ran down her temple to her jaw line.

"Eh? Really? Here I thought you guys would for sure have her in your guild. Are ya really sure she ain't in ya guild? Like really, really, really sure?" Gin pouted slightly.

"Yes. We do not have a person with that name in our guild." Erza stood resolute.

Gin turned away from them, "Ah… That's sad then… If she were in your guild I'd have only asked a few questions… But since she ain't, well I guess Kisuke won't have any qualms about me hunting her down then. Such a sha-."

He turned lightning quick and blocked a punch from Natsu with his palm. Smoke fumed out of his nostrils. "The hell do you want with Lucy you bastard?!"

Gin opened both eyes this time. "So, she is in ya guild! Ya know… I really dislike liars… Perhaps I'll cut you open on the other side? Make you look nice and symmetrical."

"You will do no such thing!" Erza had a sword in hand. She pulled Natsu away and behind her.

Gin chuckled. "Tell that girl of yours that we are gonna ask her a few questions soon. And she'd better be honest. No worries though, I promise she'll make it home safe and sound." He chuckled again and walked off, leaving the pair as a nervous bundle.

"What the hell does that bastard want with Lucy huh? She never did anything wrong damn it!" Natsu puffed a cloud of smoke.

"Calm yourself, I'm not sure what he wants to do with Lucy… But it isn't anything desirable as far as I can tell."

Erza didn't let it show, but internally she was panicking. 'If Lucy was indeed in trouble with him, there is little we can do to defend Lucy from him. Ichigo's guild is filled with monsters'

'Wait… Ichigo… That's it!'

"Natsu! We are going to ask Ichigo for assistance. He's the ace, surely, he will keep his guild members under control." Erza suggested.

"Great idea Erza! Let's go find him then!" Natsu was ready to run out of the guild, ignorant of his injury.

He reached the door handle but the door once again burst open, smacking Natsu in the cheek.

"Yo, is Natsu alright? He looked pretty beat up when we found him." Ichigo called out.

"Um Ichigo …" Erza pointed to Ichigo's side.

Ichigo turned and he saw Natsu concussed against the wall with a large red patch on his cheek.

"Eh? What the hell happened to you?" Ichigo questioned, shaking Natsu by the shoulder to try and get him to wake up.

Erza facepalmed. "Never mind him Ichigo-san, he's fine. But we need to request a favour of you."

"Hmm?" He cocked his head to the side, ready to receive Erza's request.

"Can you please protect Lucy from your guildmate? He barged in here recently, saying he needed to find/hunt her." Erza bowed. "I do not mean to be disrespectful or accusing of your guild mate but he worries us."

"What makes you think he's going to do anything to Lucy? Are we that suspicious to you?" Ichigo regarded her through half-lidded eyes. "But I'll admit some people don't have the best morals. Which one is it? The blue haired one or the white haired one?" Ichigo asked, dead-serious.

"It was the white-haired freak." Natsu responded. Arms crossed at his chest. "The bastard threatened us and Lucy!"

Ichigo sighed. 'Gin huh? Why does that creep always have to make life difficult. And just when I'm about to head back too…'

' **You can still head back you know? Just bring them along with you.** ' Zangetsu responded.

'No way am I gonna do that. I can protect them here against Gin no problem but there's no telling what could happen if they get attacked in the Soul Society…'

' **You're literally one of the strongest living things in the Soul Society… No one is gonna fuck with them when you're around.** ' A snarky response made its way past his sword's lips.

'They may be an annoyance, but you should bring them with you Ichigo. Gin won't do anything shady, and if he does question that girl then you'll be there to ensure her safety. They seem like decent people, and your newly made friend is asking a favour of you to protect someone, can you honestly refuse her?' The Quincy spirit made himself known.

' **He's got you there partner. I'm all in favour of you being more selfish, but are you? I don't think so.'**

'Sigh… You two know me too damn well…'

Ichigo looked at Erza's bent form and Natsu's hopeful eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and scowled slightly. "I can't protect you guys here. I have somewhere else to be urgently."

Erza stood back up, her eyes depicted the betrayal she felt but she kept the rest of her face neutral. "I-I see… Sorry, I understa-."

"But… You can bring Lucy and anyone else along with me. We'll be heading to where I came from." Ichigo ended off.

Her downcast eyes turned to joyous ones. "That would be great! Thank you very much Ichigo." She bowed to him once more, grabbing the back of Natsu's head and forcing him to bend as well.

"Yeah, yeah, it's no problem… Just meet me outside my guild in a few hours." Ichigo walked off, eager to find the Karakura people and Harribel.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"So why exactly did you go and scare our guests like that Gin?" Urahara asked him as Gin walked passed him.

"I found this in Jose's office." Gin chucked a piece of paper to Urahara. "Our friendly neighbours have quite an important person with them it seems."

Urahara read the letter in his hands. "… Lucy Heartfillia huh? They were supposed to get her today… Looks like they owe us one huh? Do find out more about this 'Heartfillia' family, would you? I'm going to keep it if you don't mind."

"Knock yourself out shopkeeper. I'll ask the girl about her family in the future, no doubt Ichi-chan has accepted to help them by now." Gin grinned, making his way to the portal.

"Where do you think you're going Gin?" Urahara questioned.

"Just taking a break, I got people I want to see too you know?" Gin entered the portal, making his way to the Tenth division barracks.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Erza and Natsu reached their own guild just in time as Makarov started giving his speech. They could hear him through the thick wooden doors, his voice boomed through the guild. For such a small man, it was an incredible feat.

"… Their guild was attacked by Phantom Lord. Erza, Natsu, and I went to assist them. Jose was defeated, at the cost of some injuries towards Natsu and Erza. This ordeal is over with. We have offered our help and they have graciously accepted it and brought back our members in one piece. My assumption is that we can take this as a bond building experience. Perhaps there may be a bright future for a prosperous relationship with their guild in the future. I will, however, be accepting some of Phantom Lord's members. Before you complain, this is an official decree. I don't pull rank very often but in this case, I shall. We are better than the people that judge others for their associations. Please accept them with open minds and hearts. That is all, thank you!"

Natsu and Erza rushed over to their master's side. "Master!" they both called out.

Makarov whipped around and looked at the running pair with curios eyes. "Yes?"

They caught their breath slightly before informing their master, Erza taking charge for the conversation. "Master, we have some bad news. Someone in Ichigo's guild mentioned Lucy's name and asked her if she was in our guild… When we tried to lie he said he'd hunt her down. He said he was only interested in asking questions but we are still suspicious. We plan to ask Ichigo to protect Lucy from his guildmate, at least until he confronts him about it. But Ichigo must travel to his own world, so we are going with him. I will be taking Team Natsu."

Makarov sighed, just as he said they might be a little trustworthy. "I see, that might be the best course of action indeed. I will be sure to speak to Urahara about his guild member. In the meantime you can go with Ichigo. He's proven himself to be a good boy, I'm sure he will help. He's the only one I can see myself trusting at all in their guild. Go now, there isn't any time to waste. And do not inform Lucy about this, it will cause unnecessary stress. I'll fill out some paperwork for the council."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ichigo found Harribel sitting on a stool in the guild's dining area, he already asked the rest of the people he planned to bring along. She nursed a cup of iced water with closed eyes, a state of relaxation Ichigo presumed.

"Um Harribel? You feelin' alright?" Ichigo asked her as he took a seat next to her.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked to her side, regarding him with colder eyes than usual. "I'm well. Though I am surprised you aren't more worried about the redhead and her friend."

Ichigo scowled slightly. "What's your problem? Shouldn't you of all people know the feeling of worrying about your friends?"

She averted her eyes and took a sip of her water. "Yes… I do indeed… It was wrong of me to act in such a way. My apologies." She stood up and tried to walk away.

Ichigo's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, halting her. "Hey wait up! I didn't come here just for that. I'm going to head back to Karakura for a while, and… well, do you wanna join me?"

"Karakura? What purpose would me going to Karakura serve?" Harribel asked.

"So far, all I know about you is that you used to be a hollow, then transformed into an arrancar serving under Aizen. After that you got caught up in the Quincy war. So, going by that logic it seems like you've only experienced fighting for survival and war… I wanna let you experience something outside of that. Maybe you could try my sisters cooking." Ichigo offered.

Harribel stared into Ichigo's eyes, deep in thought. 'He does bring up a good point... Currently there isn't anything to do here either. His sister's cooking has been talked about and I hear it is delicious… I guess I have no reason to refuse.'

"Alright, I'll go along with you. When are we going? And whose going with us?" Harribel answered Ichigo.

"I told the rest to meet us outside the guild in a few hours. As to the people going with us, well its Chad, Uryu, Orihime, and Erza's group." Ichigo listed off the top of his head.

The first few Harribel could understand bringing along. They were his oldest friends after all. But the last mention irked her. She calmed herself before asking, "Why exactly are people that are from _this_ world coming along with us?"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Ah well, they're worried that Gin might do something to one of their guildmates. Apparently, he threatened them. They asked me to protect her and them, and I couldn't just leave them here. But I can't just stay here and forget about my family back home, so I decided to let them come along. Kisuke approved of me taking anyone I wanted, so it's not a problem."

Harribel sighed, "You have too good of a heart you know that?"

'But I wouldn't want that to change either.' Harribel thought absent-mindedly.

Ichigo flashed a cocky smile "People have told me that before. But it's my way of leading life."

Harribel's eyes mellowed out. "It's refreshing to see that kind of mentality. I would have condemned having that mind set had this conversation been in the past, but after witnessing first-hand the hope and strength you inspire, I am quite a believer. I must thank you once more for saving me and my Fraccion. You have my sincerest gratitude." She smiled beneath her bone plating. "You interest me Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo blushed slightly at being complimented by the tanned beauty. "You're welcome."

Harribel nodded slightly. "Now then, I must bathe and prepare slightly. But first, I'm afraid you're going to have to let go of my hand." She directed her eyes at Ichigo's, still wrapped around her own.

He let go immediately with a yelp. "I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't realise.". His face reddened slightly.

With a slight bow of courtesy, Harribel left to go to her room. 'Nelliel is right, he does cause an unexplainable feeling… But it's a good one…' she placed a hand over her chest.

'That was a cute little yelp there too' She chuckled slightly.

'…speaking of Nelliel,' She turned back halfway through and called out, "Don't forget to invite Nelliel along as well, Ichigo."

"Was just about to!" Ichigo yelled slightly from the other end of the hall.

Harribel formed a smile under her mask. 'Life is certainly going to get much more interesting with him around.'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As planned, Erza and company -Natsu, Gray, Happy, and of course Lucy, showed up outside of Ichigo's guild.

"Sorry for being slightly late Ichigo. We had some trouble waking 'someone' up." Erza apologized in her usual fashion.

Ichigo waved it off. "It's fine, if you're all ready, let's get going."

"Um… Not to be ungrateful or anything Ichigo-san, but where are we going?" Lucy asked timidly, hiding herself slightly behind Gray and Natsu.

"Oh? Erza didn't tell you? We're going to where I am from." Ichigo replied.

"Eh? We're going to your hometown? Is it far? Do we need to take a train?" Lucy asked, slightly anxious since she forgot to pack appropriately. It wasn't exactly her fault that she got rushed out by her friends.

Ichigo hummed slightly, amused. "Just wait and see."

Lucy sweatdropped. 'What the hell kinda answer is that…?'

"Kurosaki-kun, can we go see Tatsuki while we're back? I miss her." Orihime asked. A tinge of guilt had always manifested itself in her heart for not bringing Tatsuki along for their adventures. As much as she would like to, Orihime absolutely couldn't. It was too dangerous for someone without proper powers.

"Sure, we can, it's our vacation. Do what you'd like! I'll be spending some time with my sisters." Ichigo clasped his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner.

"Eh? You have siblings Ichigo-san?" Lucy sounded shocked. She had never heard him mention them before.

Orihime responded in his steed. "He sure does! They're two of the cutest things in the world! And Yuzu-chan's cooking is divine!" She salivated slightly.

Chad spoke up for the first time in their impromptu meeting, "I can attest to that. Ichigo's sister Yuzu has quite a talent for cooking. You should try it. The more people she can cook for the happier she is."

"Oh no… You mentioned good food to Natsu…" Gray facepalmed.

"Ichigo! You bastard! You didn't tell me you had an awesome cook for a sister! I have to try her food now! I wanna see if it compares to Mira!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Actually… I'm interested in trying her food too Itsygo." Nel happily added.

Ichigo sighed, "Fine… I'll let her know in advance to cook for all of you. Now, let's get going already."

He turned and walked off into the guild, his entourage followed him at a brisk pace.

"Um… Ichigo, why are we heading into your guild? Aren't we supposed to go to where you're from?" Gray asked, confused as to why they were going to the basement of the guild.

They reached a shut door at the basement. "You're about to see why."

Ichigo opened the door to reveal the portal. "This might sound a little freaky to you guys, but… we're from a different dimension entirely."

The Fairytail group deadpanned. "I think he's finally gone insane…" was the whisper that everyone uttered.

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. "I'm not insane god damn it! Here, watch this!". He pressed his tattoo against the scanner. The mechanisms let off enough steam to fog up the floor, and it released the clamps and locks. The door opened eerily slow, revealing the portal and the end in sight.

"Oooh, can we go through? What's on the other side? I wanna know! C'mon let's go already!" Natsu grabbed onto Gray and Erza's arms, momentarily forgetting about his injuries, and started pulling them forward.

"Hold on Natsu, don't just run ahead. Wait for Ichigo to tell us it's okay to go first." Erza halted in her place.

"She's right match stick, you gotta stop your damn habit of running into places willy nilly." Gray added on.

"Oh, shut the hell up popsicle, like as if you're any better. You run into just as much trouble as I do." Natsu bantered, still giving it his all in pulling them forward.

"Still though, it would explain how Ichigo and the rest don't feel very magic-like at all… Even their attacks don't have the same feel. I wish to know more about your world Ichigo." Erza commented.

"Yeah, I want to know more too! Can we do the same attacks as you Ichigo? Teach me how to become as strong as you!" Natsu beamed, stars in his eyes from the admiration of strength.

The rest of Ichigo's group had already moved through the portal, making their way near the other side. Ichigo just facepalmed and sighed, "You guys are taking this remarkably well, aren't you? Whatever… Just follow me. By the way Natsu," Ichigo turned back to the Fairytail group and grinned slightly. "You'll never get as strong as me." He looked back forward and kept walking with a grin, happy his taunt worked.

"Is that a challenge you bastard?! I'll beat your sorry ass! Give me some time to train and I'll burn you so hard you won't even move damn it!" Natsu shouted, this time he was being held back by Gray and Lucy.

"We are mages of Fairy Tail Ichigo, we've seen plenty. Besides, there's no reason for you to lie to us." Erza walked next to Ichigo.

"Yeah I guessed as much" Ichigo replied, they caught up to the rest of the group. The door on the end opened and the light invaded the gloomy portal. He adjusted his eyes and Soul Society came into view. "We're here."

As soon as the group stepped into Soul Society, with Natsu barrelling through everyone in excitement to see the new land, a few armed men flash-stepped around them. "Halt! Unauthorized persons are not allowed entry into the Soul Society! Unless you have a person of significance with you, you must go back!"

"Would you numbskulls relax, they're with me." Ichigo spoke up from the back, stepping through the portal as the last one. His white coat reflecting the sun's rays brightly and his sword's hilts in full view.

"K-K-K-Kurosaki-sama?!" The squad shouted, immediately getting on one knee. "We apologise, we did not realize that they were your entourage! We did not expect you here! Please enjoy your stay!"

Ichigo was fully red in the face, "Where the hell did the name "Kurosaki-sama" come from?! Get your ass up damn it, you're embarrassing me! Just call me Ichigo!" He flash stepped beside one of the guard and pulled him into a standing position.

"Eh?! The two-time war hero and saviour of realms is allowing us to call him by his first name and without a suffix?! I must be dreaming…" One of the soldiers, a young recruit by the looks of him, almost fainted.

"Gah!" Ichigo couldn't handle the embarrassment, "Just get out of here already! Go back to your posts!"

"Understood Kurosaki-sama!" The men flash stepped away in an instant.

Ichigo was still plenty red in the face, he wanted to hide.

Harribel took this opportunity to poke a little fun at him, " _Kurosaki-sama_ huh? Don't tell me that's how we have to address you now, _Lieutenant_ Ichigo."

"Shut the hell up…" Ichigo stormed off, the group following behind him. He hoped he was going towards the right direction, he needed to find the Old Man.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime spoke up from the centre of the group.

"Yeah?" He looked back, only to be startled by the sight before him. The Fairy Tail group were almost collapsing. They walked slow and panted hard. It looked like an invisible force was pushing down on them.

'Oh crap, the reiatsu in the environment!'

"Chad!" Ichigo called out, receiving a nod from the giant. Chad internally focused and pushed his Reiatsu outwards, not enough to fling the Fairy Tail group off their feet, but just enough to alleviate the pressure they felt.

They stood back up regularly and took deep breaths, sending appreciative nods to Chad.

'I guess that means I won't be releasing my limiter anytime soon… They might get crushed… But the air here does seem denser than usual. Guess we're near the Old Man huh?' Ichigo thought.

"Why does the air seem so damn heavy here?" Lucy sounded off first.

"We have a thing called Reiatsu here. It's similar to the magic your world has. Here, its constantly in the environment from thousands upon thousands of years of saturation from the beings that live here." Ichigo explained briefly.

"No wonder you're all monsters… Even the air is trying to kill you…" Lucy deadpanned.

"You'll get used to it Lushy!" Nel happily added on.

"… My name's Lucy…" Lucy sighed, as if Natsu and Happy weren't enough.

"See Luigi! Even she calls you Lushy!" Happy flew around her head, mockingly.

"Shut the hell up cat!"

Ichigo saw the entrance to the barracks. The kanji for 'one' could be seen. "We're here. Now, this is a warning, do not and I repeat **do not** mess around in here. The Old Man is not a guy you want to mess with. Just stay quiet and stay obedient. If he tells you to move, move. Don't argue."

He pushed open the doors and the Fairy Tail group had already shut their traps, the warning already spooked them slightly.

He walked down the hall to see the doors to the Captain Commander's meeting room. With a deep breath, he pushed through and walked in.

Yamamoto could feel the boy coming from a mile away. He was as subtle as a signal flare across a black sky. He had stopped feeling any sort of surprise when it came to the boy, he was a living defiance of fate.

He cracked an ancient eye open and gazed towards Ichigo, the unknown faces must be his new friends from the other world. The ones mentioned to him by Urahara via messenger.

"Why have you come here with your little group boy?" His voice boomed with untold power.

The Fairy Tail group didn't even need the warning, the feel he gave off was terrifying.

Ichigo stared him straight in the eye. "Kisuke gave me a break, said I could visit anywhere and bring whoever I wanted, so I brought them. I just came here to let you know so they won't 'accidentally' get killed by some squad 2 member for being some form of 'ryoka'"

"Are you trying to imply something here boy? Why should I allow this I wonder? What if they are future enemies? You would be revealing some very important secrets Ichigo Kurosaki." The Head Captain let off a bit more of his power. He could see the Fairy Tail group visibly struggling slightly.

"They need my protection! From Gin at least. Besides, you assigned Kisuke as the head captain of the other branch, and I am under said branch. Therefore, by his orders I am allowed to do this." Ichigo talked back, unwavering in determination.

"As always, you would lay your life on the line for some people you have just met. When will you understand that your duties take priority over your feelings?" Yamamoto asked

"Never." Ichigo maintained his firmness.

Yamamoto clenched his jaw. "Always a rebellious one. Perhaps I should discipline your insubordinations like all my other Captains."

"You're a smart guy, you should know it won't work." Ichigo smirked.

The Head Captain stared hard. "Leave, I shall allow Kisuke's order, however… If your group causes any problems, I will not hesitate to burn them to ashes." With the final threat, he slammed the ground with his cane and dismissed the group.

"Hey! Who the hell do you-." Natsu's outburst was snuffed by 3 hands and a paw clamping down on his mouth.

The Head Captain stared hard at Natsu's direction, observing his friends sweating bullets. He huffed and turned away.

Before Natsu could get them all killed, they dragged him out of the barracks.

"Who the hell does that old man think he is?! Burn us to ashes? Try me! I'm a damn Fire Dragonslayer!" Natsu angrily complained to no one in particular.

"His flames are not one you can just brush off Natsu. He'll reduce you into nothing but ashes. That is his catchphrase after all. If he went all out, I don't think your dimension could survive." Ichigo gave a cryptic warning.

They paled at the last part. It wasn't their guild, city, country, continent, or even world! Their whole dimension?! Surely, he must be kidding…

"Now c'mon, I got a few people to meet up with. After that, I'll bring all of you to my world."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tatsuki sat on the side of her bed, the Soul Society Ticket gripped tightly between her fingers. Downcast eyes stared hard at the slip of paper.

'Visit him huh?'

The ticket was given to her by one of Ichigo's 'friends'. His cryptic forewarning had chiselled itself into her brain, incessantly gnawing at her thoughts. Relief spread through her body when she saw Ichigo once more.

'And then he left us again to fix another one of their damn problems… Aren't they supposed to be some guardians of the afterlife or whatever, Ichigo's seventeen! Give him a damn break!'

She stood up, the ticket crumpled in her clenched fist. A scowl that would make Ichigo proud formed on her face.

'I'm gonna bring him back damn it. He needs some time off.'

She marched out of her house. Making her way to Ichigo's house, the older Kurosaki would bring her there.

'If he refuses… Surely Ichigo won't mind his dad getting a bruise, right?'

She bashed the door with a clenched fist. The tell-tale rattling of the hinges informed Karin that Tatsuki was at the door.

Tatsuki heard from inside of the house, "Goat chin! Tatsuki's at the door!"

Then she heard the senior Kurosaki run/stomp his way down the steps and almost pull the door off the hinges.

"My first third-daughter! How have you been? You don't visit enough nowadays! How can I help?" Isshin greeted with his usual eccentricity.

Tatsuki placed a palm on her face and sighed hard. "I want to see Ichigo."

Isshin gasped as loudly as he possibly could. "You… you want to see… Ichigo?"

Tatsuki could see slight tears forming in the old man's eyes. "Uh… yes…"

Isshin burst into happy tears as he dragged Tatsuki by her arm too Masaki's poster. "My dear Masaki! This is our new daughter-in-law! I know you wouldn't have expected this but all those times she beat Ichigo might have just been a display of love and affect-."

 **Slap**

Isshin found himself on the floor with a stinging sensation in his cheek.

"God damn it, it's not for this! I want to go to wherever Ichigo is right now! I know about what he's doing, and I know it's not good for him! Bring me to him!" Tatsuki grabbed Isshin by the front of his collar and shook him violently.

She heard Isshin give a loud sigh before discarding his whacky persona and putting on a serious expression. "Wherever he is, he's not in a safe place. You should know that, and you still want to go?"

Tatsuki didn't answer with her words, rather, she lifted a fist and pulled it back.

Isshin yelped, "Alright! Alright! I got it. I'll bring you to Urahara's shop, they'll bring you there."

"What are you waiting for then?" Tatsuki picked him up to his feet and shoved him toward the doorway.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ichigo and company made their way to the Sixth barracks. When they were nearing the entrance to the backyard, shouts of training and orders could be heard. They walked by the courtyard where the squad were training their sword skills, led by Renji at the front.

"Oi Pineapple!" Ichigo called out.

Renji paused mid-swing and choked on his saliva. "Ichigo?! The hell are you doing here?"

He pointed his thumb back at the group. "Vacation. Brought some new friends along. Decided to drop by and say hi. Where's Rukia?"

"You can't just barge in here and say hi to people! We have routines and schedules you know!" Renji pointed his sword at Ichigo and shook it around.

"Did it once, gonna keep doing it." Ichigo cleared his ear with his pinkie, "wanna take a break?"

"You… I can't… Gah! Fine! Everyone you had better be training! I'll test you when I'm back!" Renji stomped out the training ground.

When Renji reached the group, he looked at the group Ichigo had brought along.

"They're like some stray puppies that you adopted…" Renji sweatdropped.

Ichigo ignored it, "You sure you're training your squad properly? Who knows if they'll lose to some ryoka next time."

"Bastard…"

Ichigo and Renji shared a smile.

The rest of the group shared the same downcast eyes. It was rare for any of them to make Ichigo banter and smile while in a large group.

"Rukia should be in the thirteenth, you want me to call over the rest of the crew? Ikkaku is excited to spar with you again." Renji said.

"I don't think it's just Ikkaku that's excited…" Ichigo felt a familiar spiritual pressure sky rocket and start travelling to him at terrifying speed.

"Uh oh…" Renji sweatdropped.

"Help the rest, release some reiatsu so Kenpachi doesn't accidentally squash them." Ichigo instructed before he pulled his sword out and braced himself.

"Gotcha!" Renji appeared next to the group and started releasing some of his spiritual pressure, trying his best to balance it out with the incoming monster's.

"What the heck is going on? Why do we need protection? Whose Kenpachi?!" Lucy frantically asked.

"Whatever it is, I want to fight it!" Natsu ignited his fists.

Erza slapped him on the back of his head with the flat side of her sword, "Don't be stupid, the people here are stronger than we could imagine. Let Ichigo handle this."

Gray was cautious but kept his mouth shut.

"When will that brute ever learn to be more civilised?" Uryu was exasperated.

"Don't be so rude, Kenpachi is actually a decent person!" Orihime complained slightly, bubbling her cheeks out.

The group was shut up by the increasing force they felt bearing down on them. It was like all the air above them was replaced by water. They saw Renji trying his best to release enough to keep them safe.

Orihime placed dome around all of them, letting Renji rest.

"Thanks… You're a… lifesaver…" Renji said between pants.

They saw a gargantuan man literally smash through the wall they were standing next to. The eyepatched monster had a devilish grin on his face and a raised sword. Jagged, as if it went through years of abuse.

"Ichigo! It's about time! Fight me again! I know my sword's name now!" Kenpachi slashed down hard at Ichigo, who blocked it with Zangetsu, but it didn't stop the ground beneath him cracking.

An eek from Lucy and jaw drops from Erza, Gray, and Natsu were observed.

"Not now Kenpachi! I have something to do!" He pushed back and sheathed his sword. He knew Kenpachi wouldn't fight him unless he truly put his heart into it.

"What could be more important that fighting me huh?" Kenpachi asked, letting a childish side of him out. He raised his sword again. "C'mon just a quick fight! If we both go all out it'll be done in no time!"

"Nope, you can cut me if you want but I know you won't." Ichigo smirked.

Kenpachi stared him straight. "Tch, you turned into a damn pansy you know that…" He sheathed his sword.

Kenpachi looked back at the group and Lucy tried her best to hide behind Erza. "Who are these kids?"

"They're a group from the world Urahara discovered. I'm bringing them to my world." Ichigo replied.

"Eh? The other world huh? Alright, I'm gonna fight the strongest one." He walked toward them.

"Hell yeah! Come here bastard! I'll fight ya!" Natsu shouted, shaking his fist behind the glowing shield of Orihime's dome of protection. "Hey! Let me out! I wanna beat him to a pulp!"

Chad's fist promptly came down on Natsu's head, knocking him out. "Don't be stupid." Came the low comment from the tall man.

"Tch, c'mon, let me have some fun." Kenpachi stood in front of the bubble with his sword placed on his shoulder.

"Oi, quit threatening innocent people damn it! I'll fight you another time, so could you stop being a scumbag?" Ichigo asked of Kenpachi.

Zaraki kept his glare onto the group for a moment before turning back to look at Ichigo. "I'm gonna see to it that you keep to your word about that fight."

He sheathed his sword and stopped releasing his spiritual pressure, restraining it once more. Orihime brought the shield down and slowly, everyone calmed down.

"So, what are ye bringing them over to your place for exactly?" The eleventh squad captain asked, seemingly joining the entourage.

"Kisuke gave me a vacation, decided to bring them along for fun." Ichigo shrugged.

"You're a shit liar you know that." Kenpachi laughed slightly, the rasp in his voice adding a sinister effect to it. "Well, whatever. As long as I get a fight in the future I could give less of a damn."

Chad picked up Natsu's concussed form and carried him over his shoulder.

"Say, which one of you guys is the strongest anyway? I'm curious." Kenpachi looked back over his shoulder. "Is it you?" Kenpachi stared straight at Lucy with an evil grin.

"Eek!" Lucy decided to hide behind Chad this time, Aquarius' key already in her grasp.

"That would be me, Mr. Kenpachi." Erza pointed a thumb at her chest and stood tall.

"Heh, interestin'. But you don't look like much. Don't feel like much too. Maybe once you get strong enough I'll consider fightin' ya." Kenpachi taunted slightly before laughing and detouring off the path. "I gotta get back to my own guild, I'll be sure to tell Ikkaku you're here. He wants to fight you almost as much as I do."

With those parting words he sped off. Leaving a gust of wind to blow in the surroundings.

"He's one of your… friends, I assume." Erza asked.

"Dude's a freak…" Gray added on.

Ichigo rubbed his forehead, "Yeah… friend is the word that comes to mind I guess."

The group started to pick up their pace to the Thirteenth's Barracks.

"I'm surprised Kenpachi gave up on a fight that easy." Uryu commented.

"I am too, let's just thank whatever higher being there is that they're happy with me today." Ichigo replied.

"You mean to say that he's usually even more aggressive?!" Lucy asked, shocked at the revelation.

"Well… Yeah… First time I met him he demanded that I fight him to the death." Ichigo nonchalantly recalled his first memory of meeting the berserker captain.

The Fairy Tail group sweated coldly as they imagined what an experience like that would have been like had they been in his shoes.

As they walked along the streets of the Seireitei, Ichigo could feel the stares. Better than the rest could, after all, he's been stared at, glared at, mean mugged, and ogled practically his entire life. But these stares were different. They were missing their usual… derogatoriness.

Natsu woke up not too long ago, just in time to see Kenpachi leave. He still wanted to fight the bastard, but he let go of it for now. His eyes could see very well that people were pointing at the group and talking amongst themselves. For him, it was no different than when he was in Magnolia. He knew his pink hair stuck out like a sore thumb, and his usual antics of mild to severe property damage left behind a bad reputation in the common people's eyes.

But his rather acute sense of hearing let him know that he wasn't the main topic of conversation. Rather, it was the other bright haired boy. He could hear Ichigo's name repeated a lot. The general tone of it seemed to be more of reverence than the normal disdain. He picked a conversation between two men dressed in the local military garb to listen into.

"… Two-time war hero."

"Really?! That can't be true, he's so young!"

"It's true. That man right there is one of the strongest things we could possibly imagine and he's walking around here. Instead of being cooped up in some barracks or palace, he interacts with common folk as well. He's earned my respect. And to think he started off as a ryoka…"

"No way! Our two-time war hero, the transcendent, the hybid, the god killer, the slayer of Yhwach was a freakin' ryoka?!"

"Damn right kid, you were still in the academy, but I was one of the people in squad eleven that tried to chase after him and stop him. At the time he was just a nuisance, no one expected him to become like this. I hear the statue will be revealed soon."

"There'll be a statue? Where?"

"From what I've heard? A lot of places, some say the Sokyoku hill, some say the 1st squad barracks, and others say in the heart of Soul Society."

Natsu decided to tune out of their conversation. He'd heard enough. Apparently, his orange haired friend was quite the big shot. His lips curved upward mischievously.

"So, Ichigo…" Natsu started.

"Yeah?"

"Who's this… Yhwach person?" Natsu asked, hoping to rile him up a little. He realized he went too far though, when Ichigo's sword, Harribel's sword, Nel's sword, Chad's fist, Uryu's bow and arrow, and Renji's sword pointed straight at him. He put his hands up and the rest of the Fairy Tail group raised their hands in surrender as well.

"Where did you hear that name?" Ichigo questioned.

"I just heard two guys talking about it over there." Natsu backed away slightly from the tip of Zangetsu, relieving some pressure the skin of his throat felt.

"Please believe him Ichigo, Natsu's a dragon slayer. They have massively increased senses. One of them is hearing." Erza pleaded.

Ichigo relented, sheathing his sword. Everyone else followed suit.

"Don't mention that name again. He was… an enemy. Now he's dead." Ichigo couldn't find it in him to call the man evil. He did have his own intentions and wanted to shape the world into his own view after all, not out of pure malice or evil.

"Was he so bad that you had to kill him?" Natsu asked, slight edge to his voice. He never condoned the act of taking another's life, no matter who that person may be.

"Yes. He was. Is that what you want to hear us say?" Uryu stepped into the conversation. "The end he met at Ichigo's sword was rightly deserved. Justice was served."

"Alright, if you say it's justified then we'll accept your reasonings." Natsu backed down from the conversation, he could feel the tense atmosphere.

"Don't ever mention that to anyone here, you might get killed for it. Now, moving on to cheerier topics, we're here." Ichigo and company stood outside the Thirteenth squad barracks.

Ichigo knocked on the gates.

No answer.

He knocked again, and still no answer.

"Oi midget!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Open up!"

He was about to knock again when he didn't receive an answer, but the doors flew open. Coincidentally, that made Ichigo fly too.

He landed a few feet away, holding his nose in pain. "What the hell…"

"Didn't anybody ever teach you to knock, then _wait_?!" Rukia went over and kicked Ichigo in the shin as he was getting up, "Why are you here? Don't you have some important work to be doing?"

"Well I came over to say hi but apparently, I can't even do that because Rukia ain't here!" Ichigo pretended not to see her, looking over her in a mock gesture of trying to spot someone.

Rukia was about to stomp on his foot before Renji pulled her back. "He's here to visit, and he's brought some friends. They're goin' to the Human World, you want to come with? Yuzu's cooking."

Rukia calmed down and sighed deeply. "It's nice to see you again Ichigo, but I'm too busy to go anywhere. I've had to take over a lot of paper work and training ever since the war ended because…" she trailed off sadly.

Ichigo understood. The news of her captain's death hit her hard. During the funeral ceremony for all who'd died in the war, she never left her captain's shrine. While he paid his respects to everyone's shrines due to a morbid sense of respect, he found himself lingering a bit more on Ukitake's. He left some flowers and went to visit others. Some he didn't know, and some he did. When he left, he saw Shunsui comforting Rukia.

"It's fine, the offer still stands if you can make it. I'll get you some of Yuzu's cooking in a takeaway box on my way back." Ichigo offered.

"Thanks, I would love that. It's been too long I haven't had your sister's cooking." She bowed to the whole group and went back into the barracks.

"Still taking it hard huh?" Ichigo asked Renji.

"Yeah… She still hasn't fully gotten over it. Give it some time." Renji clapped his hand onto Ichigo's shoulder. "C'mon, I'm starving. Better tell you sister to cook double for me." He chuckled.

"You're lucky if I even offer a freeloader like you half a plate!" Ichigo retorted, snickering.

They heard a loud commotion going on as they walked closer to where they were officially allowed to open the Senkaimon to Karakura.

"… Ma'am you have to go back! I don't know where you're from but you're crazy!"

"Screw you! I need to see Ichigo! I'm his friend!"

"Yeah? And my uncle's Aizen, take a hike miss. No one's gonna believe that made up story."

"What about these then huh?" Tatsuki pulled out her Soul Society Ticket and waved it at his face. "One of your captain gave it to me, think his name was Shunsui."

The guard laughed hysterically, "You think Captain Shunsui would personally give these… Soul Society Ticket to you humans? How arrogant of you!"

Ichigo was about to knock the lights out of the guard but someone beat him to the punch.

Shunsui placed a gentle hand on the guard's shoulder, having snuck up behind him without his notice. "Maa, you shouldn't be so rude to our guest here. Especially considering she's a life-long friend of our dear Ichigo Kurosaki… I gave her a ticket for a reason ya know, if she wants to come over, then I say why not? Let her be, alright?"

Shunsui stared at the guard's petrified face with a gentle smile.

"Y-Y-Y-Ye-Yes sir! My apologies!" The guard moved to the side, signalling that Tatsuki could enter the Soul Society officially.

"Nice to see you here Arisawa-chan. You're just in time too, Ichigo just came back to the Soul Society." Shunsui greeted the teen kindly.

"Thanks for that, could you bring me to him?" Tatsuki asked.

"No need for me to do that, he's right over there." Shunsui pointed to the left of Tatsuki, and indeed she saw Ichigo and a whole group of people running in her direction.

Ichigo shouted out as he got nearer "Tatsuki! What are you doing here? How'd you even open up a senakai-." And then his jaw met Tatsuki's fist. Granted, it didn't do any damage to him in this state. But it was enough to shock him.

Tatsuki winced and cradled her hand, rubbing her sore knuckles. "When did you get a chin made of steel?! Damn…" She shook her hand to clear the pain. "And I'm here to see the four of you of course, what else dumbass?"

'Oh… uh… I can explain…" Ichigo tried to find a good way to tell her that he went off on another drastic mission with the rest and forgetting to inform her. He started panicking slightly when Tatsuki walked nearer and nearer. He fully expected to get a haymaker in the jaw again, but he was surprised when he got pulled into a hug along with Orihime.

"… I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Was all Ichigo could say.

"It's … fine, I needed to hear that…" Tatsuki said gently.

"I missed you Tatsuki." Orihime nearly sobbed.

"I missed you too." Tatsuki tightened the hug on the both of them.

Harribel's expression turned sour.

Nel pouted slightly.

Erza tried her best to hide her frown and blush.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 _-Somewhere-_

"I would have never expected for this to actually happen… But I suppose this is fine as well. For now I shall slumber, but when I wake once again, things will change according to my plan. Although I do wonder how long it shall take for me to wake this time. I look forward to seeing the changes in the world that I will break and mold. Especially with your aid, _my son born in darkness_." Yhwach grinned as he finished his monologue and accepted his slumber within the darkness that surrounded him.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 **[A/N] Hello there my beautiful readers! I'm not dead! And neither is the story! Even though the shitty author hasn't updated in over two months! But hey, here's one. I'm gonna crank one out as soon as I can, between 31/10 and 5/11 in the name of my favourite holiday, Halloween!**

 **This is quite a dialogue filled chapter, basically bringing the FT inhabitants into the world of Bleach. Hope you guys don't mind the lack of action and fighting in this one. Next few chapters are most likely going to be mellow like this one too, so bear with me.**

 **And do let me know if you guys would like/dislike little omake chapters at the end of chapters. Sort of funny/cute little paragraphs that are non-canon. If majority dislike it then I guess I'll exclude it, but if you don't mind then some chapters when I get the inspiration I might do a little omake here and there.**

 **Some review reviewing!**

 **To Heavenlydemonknight: Ah, thanks for clearing that up. I must have misread the manga then.**

 **To RadicalReader261: Ulquiorra will not be featured in this fanfiction.**

 **To Speedyquader: Yeah, I didn't want to bore people with the real Jose. Actual Jose would have gotten curbstomped in a few seconds, and that's not much fun to read.**

 **To the lovely Goost: For Gin, I wouldn't put morality as one of the things he necessarily needs to be beaten into him. Loyalty yes, it will be a theme throughout the story to see how Gin's loyalties slowly develop, but morality wise him being this dark and creepy guy with a love interest suits well to contrast with the rest of the moral high-ground characters, and serves to sort of embody some of the lengths that Soul Society would go to. I plan to make him work close with Urahara, not necessarily form friendships but to work together. Which, in the upcoming chapters will be elaborated further.**

 **I don't really keep up with Fairy Tail's manga all that much so I didn't mention anything about it. By the time we get to that point in this story, I'm sure I could read the entire franchise over again. We just got out of the Phantom Lord arc XD It's a long way to go for this story.**

 **In terms of Villains for this story, I'm starting to piece together some ideas. Some from FT, some from Bleach, and some I made up in my head.**

 **To Matemeo3: Thanks for the compliment and thanks for pointing it out**

 **To Yiggdrasil: Thanks for the reviews on every single chapter! For Gin's character I have stated it above ^ and in terms of what they're studying and why, that's a key point of the story and something I don't want to spoil or reveal too soon. Just know that its vital to the story.**

 **To Age of Awesomeness : Hehe… I hope this was your definition of "soon"**

 **Dragonfox123: thank you very much.**

 **And that's all for this chapter, thanks everyone for reading! Leave a review if you want.**

 **Parting, out~**


	17. Chapter 17

**A little break**

The tender embrace between the long-time friends was broken, and Tatsuki let the two stand to full height.

"Not to ruin the nice reunion here, but shall we get going?" Uryu asked, pushing his spectacles back up to place.

"Eh? Going where?" Tatsuki piped up. "And who are they?" She looked left and right.

"They're friends, some from Hueco Mundo, and some from a new dimension." Chad answered her.

"We're going to Karakura. Hat-and-clogs gave us a vacation. I'm heading back to see my sisters, how are they?" Ichigo asked.

"They're fine, I swear Karin is turning out to be a female version of you…" Tatsuki sweatdropped. "So, you're telling me I came here for nothing?"

"You got to see the Soul Society didn't you?" Ichigo deadpanned.

"Well, I gotta get back to my squad. You guys may have a vacation, but I don't… Be sure to stop by again on your way back!" Renji said as he started to walk off, hands clasped behind his head.

"Train your squad properly pineapple! I'll take-away some cooking for you!" Ichigo shouted at the man walking away.

Renji just waved his hand backwards and kept his stride.

"C'mon, let's get going. The group stepped into the Senkaimon and made their way across the dimensions.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As they stepped out of the Senkaimon placed right outside Urahara's shop, Ichigo transformed himself back to his normal human self.

The bright flash of light slightly blinded the others for the moment, and then they laid their eyes on Ichigo wearing his classic ensemble of T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

"Man, it feels nice to be back here again." Ichigo stretched his arms and yawned.

"I'm going to go find my clothes I stashed away, give me a minute." Uryu walked off.

Chad and Orihime were in their normal attire anyways so there wasn't much problem there.

But the rest on the other hand…

"Um… I don't think you guys will fit very well walking around in that sort of attire…" Tatsuki commented, taking in the bizarre fashion choices of the rest.

"Nel and I are still Hollows, the people here will not see us. I don't see a reason for us to change." Harribel said.

"Yeah! And I like my body as it is… I don't know what it's gonna be like in a Gigai…" Nel pouted slightly.

"Well tough shit, if I let you guys roam around like that, the Soul Society's gonna make a huge fuss…" Ichigo sighed.

"Oi Kurosaki! I found something!" Uryu shouted from another room.

The group curiously made their way over to discover that Kisuke had made Gigai's for Harribel and Nel in advance, dressing them in appropriate clothing. As well as a change of attire for the Fairy Tail bunch.

Harribel and Nel reluctantly got into their Gigai. Erza got into the dress, Lucy got a skirt and tee. Natsu put on a singlet, camo shorts, and sandals. Gray already had decent looking clothes before this, only problem was trying to find them. The Karakura bunch had their own clothes so it wasn't any worry.

"This feels… strange to say the least." Harribel complained slightly. A few eyes widened as they took in Harribel's new look. She was missing her usual Hollow plating, and Arrancar clothes. Instead she was dressed in a grey turtleneck and blue jeans. The defacto leader of the Hollows looking so human was a shock to most of them. Her blue face tattoos remained though.

"Harribel's right, it does feel a little strange." Nel spoke up, widening a few more eyes. A bright green singlet and a knee length skirt replaced her old attire. The Hollow mask on the top of her head was replaced by a wide brim sun hat.

'They look… incredible…' was the same slightly competitive thought that the rest of the girls in the room had.

"If everyone's ready, let's get going. It's a short walk" Ichigo beckoned them to follow him.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ichigo stood in front of his door and sighed. He hid his face in his palm and knocked on the door. Just as expected, the senior Kurosaki could be heard running straight to the door. Ichigo stepped left slightly just as Isshin launched his flying kick out the door.

Surprise coloured Isshin's face as he saw the new faces before he saw Ichigo's arm. The clothesline landed straight on his nose, stopping him mid-air.

"Behave yourself damn it! I have guests!" Ichigo scolded his father.

The concussed elder looked around and saw familiar faces, and some not-so.

He spotted Orihime and Tatsuki in the crowd of people though, and rushed over quick as a fox. "Ah my future daughters! Is my son treating you right? When is the ceremony? Should I prepare a cradle for my grandson?"

"Eh… M-M-M-Mr. Kurosaki, you shouldn't joke about matters such as this." Orihime held her hands up and awkwardly laughed.

"You, stupid old man!" Tatsuki and Ichigo both yelled together before both their fists smashed against Isshin's skull.

The Fairy Tail group looked positively mortified. Happy leaned over to Natsu and whispered "Ne… I don't think he's very filial, is he?"

Natsu nodded firmly.

Ichigo palmed his face and sighed, before holding the door open and gesturing them to enter. "Just get in… Step on him if you have to." Referring to his flattened father.

They made their way into the house, taking a good look around as they stepped in. "Wow, it's a nice place Ichigo."

"It's pretty average all things considered." He scratched the back of his head.

A door bursting open alerted everyone, and they looked at upwards. And Erza saw the two of the cutest things she had ever seen.

"Ichi-nii!" both girls squealed happily as they jumped from halfway down the stairs and hugged their older brother around the waist.

"It's nice to see you both too." Ichigo muffled as he embraced his sisters and dug his face into their shoulders.

He let go of the hug and pointed to his side, "I got a few friends that'll be staying with us for a bit. You mind cooking for them Yuzu?"

She mentally counted all the people she could see and with each count her smile got larger. Her face snapped back to her brother, stars in her eyes. "I'd love to!"

Karin sweatdropped, "You call this 'a few'?"

She shook her head, knowing she should have expected this out of her brother. "There's some new faces I see, you make friends fast huh? Is your internship that fun?"

Ichigo was surprised when he heard it, but thinking slightly ahead, it's probably what his dad told them to keep them from worrying.

"Yeah… It's plenty of fun. I'm lucky enough to get paid too. Once the cheque comes in I'll take you two out to the movies and a buffet alright?" Ichigo smiled, ruffling both sisters' hair

Natsu and Gray's jaws hit the floor. "He… He… He's not some grumpy bastard?!"

Erza promptly smacked their back of their heads for the rude statement.

"I'm surprised as well… He looks mean all the time, and now he's suddenly so… cheery." Lucy commented, finding the scene that unfolded before her to be incredibly heart-warming.

"You'd be surprised at the amount Ichigo spoils his sisters." Tatsuki told her, grin present on her face.

"That's right. Ichigo would go through Hell itself for his sisters." Chad broke his silence.

Nel pouted, and whined slightly in jealousy. "He didn't treat me like that when I was in my child form…"

"You're not his sister Nel. It's wrong of you to be jealous for that kind of reasoning." The Hollow queen told her off. Internally, she felt the same envy.

"I'll get cooking right away!" Yuzu joyfully stated. "I'll make your favourite Ichi-nii! Tonkastu Curry Don!" she happily bounced off into the kitchen.

"I'm having soccer practice later so I gotta prepare." Karin made her way up the stairs. "You'll be here next week, right Ichi-nii?" slight worry and desperation crept into her voice.

He regarded her with soft eyes and a gentle smile. "Of course, I will."

Karin smiled and ran into her room.

"So, what's so special about next we-." Tatsuki clamped a hand over Natsu's mouth.

"Shh. Shut up, just leave him alone next Monday. Got it?" Tatsuki glared at Natsu from the side of his head. He nodded quickly, sweating from the scary lady.

"Good boy." She let go of him and started walking up the stairs.

"And where do you think you're headed?" Ichigo asked her, back to his usual scowling self.

"Your room, where else?" Tatsuki answered.

"And why exactly are you going into my room?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"To rest? Besides, it's not like its anything new. I've been in your room plenty of times." Tatsuki shrugged.

Erza had to hide a blush. The scenes that played out in her head when she heard that involved the two childhood friends in typical steamy smut situations.

"And what's the problem even if I hadn't been here before anyway, you let Rukia stay in your room with you for months, didn't you?" Tatsuki commented, before entering his room and jumping onto the bed, eager to catch some rest.

A shadow covered the hollow girls' eyes. Erza had to stem the flow of blood from her nose, as well as the slight heart ache. The rest had to pick their jaws up from the floor.

"Don't make it sound like that damn it!" Ichigo shouted. He turned back to see the bag of mixed reactions.

"I-I-I didn't know you w-w-w-were that kind of person Ichigo…" Erza stammered.

"Maybe he has more similarities to Leo than just the hair huh?" Gray teased.

"What'cha guys talkin' about?" Natsu asked.

"Just shut up and follow me…" Ichigo gave up on them, and walked up to his room in defeat.

Nel piped up, "Rukia is that Shinigami girl that helped you in Hueco Mundo isn't she?"

"Yeah, that's her. I'm surprised you remember her from back then." Ichigo thought back to those days in the sand dunes of Hueco Mundo, running around Las Noches fighting for his life.

"Her appearance changed, but she still looks relatively similar." Nel commented with a cheeky grin.

"You've met her before today Nel?" Harribel asked.

"Yep! Back when you guys kidnapped Orihime and Ichigo came to rescue her, Rukia and a few others also accompanied Itsygo."

The dimensional-locals sweatdropped.

"Eh?!" Lucy pointed a finger at Harribel, "You kidnapped her? Why?"

Harribel shrugged, "It was a war. Surely, you've seen what she is capable of. To leave someone like that in the hands of the enemy is suicide. So, an order was given to kidnap and detain her."

"That's a sick thing to do…" Lucy muttered under her breath.

"It was a smart thing to do. You don't always get to have the moral high ground in a war." Uryu responded. "And against people like the Soul Society and even Ichigo himself, any advantage will be exploited. Unfortunately, that advantage was Orihime."

He pushed his spectacles up, "If anything the Hollows should be grateful that Ichigo has his honour. Otherwise I doubt you would still be here." He directed towards Harribel. While he was starting to get to know the Hollows more personally, he still had a deep seeded dislike of them. It wasn't helped by Orihime's kidnapping one bit.

"Should the same not be said about you, Quincy?" Harribel crossed her arms over her chest.

The staring match was broken up by the man in question himself. He slapped the both of them over the head. "You can talk all you want about this elsewhere. In my house, and especially with my sisters around, you keep yourselves quiet about this. Understood?"

"Fine." They responded simultaneously.

Ichigo sighed and opened his room door, signalling them to get in. They situated themselves inside the room, finding whatever space they could and sat themselves down.

"So, what do you guys wanna do?" Ichigo asked the group.

"Eh? Well, um, nothing in particular actually." Lucy answered first.

"I would like to learn more about this world. If there is a library, then I would like to visit it." Erza respectfully asked.

"I wanna eat and fight!" Natsu cheerily responded.

"I'm gonna follow Natsu to make sure he doesn't destroy anything." Gray added.

Ichigo rubbed his chin and adopted a thoughtful look on his face. "Uryu, you can bring Erza to the library, right?"

"I can, I have things to do there anyway." Uryu pushed his spectacles up, cheeks slightly red that the first one to come to mind when a library was mentioned was him.

"You wanna show Lucy around Orihime? Nel, you can tag along with her too." Ichigo addressed Orihime.

"Sure! I'd love to." Orihime's gentle smile gave Lucy the feeling of acceptance. Nel cheered and happily stuck to the two like glue.

"And Chad, you can take Natsu and Gray to that Boxing Gym you started going to. Tatsuki, you go with them too. After that you guys can get some lunch, send the receipt to Urahara."

Chad nodded silently and gestured for the trio to follow him.

"Ichigo? What about you and I?" Harribel asked.

"I'm gonna take you around town of course. We'll still meet up with the rest for dinner back here, and we still have a few more activities planned so it's gonna be a fun vacation for all of us hopefully."

The edges of her lips curved up slightly, a pleasant feeling ran through her being. "I'm sure it'll be a very fun vacation indeed."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Get up Grimmjow. We have something to do." Urahara prodded his side with a stick.

The sleeping hollow turned to his side, ignoring him.

Urahara frowned. He flipped the stick in his hand and stabbed at one of his wounds with it. Grimmjow sat up with a pained yelp. He reached out to try and strangle the shop keeper but stopped short of his neck when he remembered his agreement with the Soul Society.

"One of these days I'm going to fucking kill you." Grimmjow threatened, nursing his side and gingerly getting off the bed. He put on his slightly torn attire.

"As amusing as it would be to see you try, save it for another day. We have some important things to follow up on today." Urahara kept his hat low and walked out the room.

Through the door way he saw Gin stand up from a chair and join Urahara.

Sensing the troubles ahead of him, he grinned.

"So, we're payin' a visit to Fairy Tail huh?" Grimmjow pushed himself off the edge of the bed.

"We are, you on the other hand, aren't. Can't bring wild dogs into civilised meetings, can we?" Gin taunted without looking back.

Grimmjow grabbed his sword. "The fuck did you say?"

"Now, now, you don't want to end up in the Muken do you Grimmjow? Behave yourself. There's a request on the table there." Urahara pointed to a nearby table. "You seem like a good candidate. Finish it without problems and I might just give you a vacation for being diligent. You'll get to explore this little world to your heart's content for a few days."

"Heh, I'm tired of seeing your ugly mug everyday anyway. I'll do what the damn paper says. Just make sure you follow through on your end of the bargain." Grimmjow walked to the table and picked up the paper.

"Enjoy yourself. We'll be back soon." Urahara and Gin walked out.

Grimmjow cursed under his breath at their backs before looking down and looking at just what the request was for.

" **Please help get rid of a Dark Guild!"**

Judging by the details on the paper, the journey to and fro would take about a week all together. "I'll take the train I guess, I'm lazy to Sonido there." Grimmjow embarked on his mission to obliterate a Dark Guild.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"So, what exactly are we going to do first Ichigo?" Harribel asked as she walked by his side, having just stepped out of Ichigo's house. Her new clothes felt strange, but they were bearable. She couldn't get used to the Gigai though.

"We're gonna get some lunch first, you haven't eaten yet, right?" Ichigo inquired.

"Can't say that I have. Where will we be eating?" She observed the boy next to her nonchalantly. She took note of how easy going he started looking ever since he stepped into this town. No more were the tense shoulders and hard scowls. He moved more fluidly, and carelessly. The scowl wasn't present, instead half lidded eye lids and a slight smile replaced his usual look.

"Hmm… You like seafood?" While he chatted, he took note of the changes in her behaviour as well. Not in the same way she did, but rather the change she showed from the Winter War to now. She was much more comfortable around his and his friend's presences, she wasn't so tense and battle oriented. She didn't really know how to relax per say, but he could tell she was improving. He'd actually heard her laugh a few times and even get into a teasing mood! It was a far cry from the woman that almost stabbed him after he saved her.

"Never tried anything other than hollows, sustenance pills, and tea. We don't have much else to eat in Hueco Mundo." Was the shocking reply to Ichigo.

"W-wait, what? Didn't you eat anything in Magnolia?!" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

"Well… No. I relied on the pills and water. Occasionally tea. Other than that, I focused on training. Is there something wrong?" She did not understand his confusion.

"Of course, there's something wrong… Alright, I know what we're gonna eat. C'mon, I'll bring you to my favourite place." He grabbed hold of her wrist and practically dragged her to the ramen shop across the street. If he'd looked back, he would have seen the small smile and light blush on her face. And she thanked whatever divine being out there that he didn't.

He barged through the doors to the noodle shop, ringing the bell overhead to alert the waiter.

The girl ushered her to their table after they had asked for a two-seater. They were placed next to a window with a decent view.

Ichigo heard a shout from the kitchen, "Is that you Kurosaki?!"

"Sup' Old Man Ramen! We'll have two Isshin Specials!" Ichigo shouted back at the kitchen counter.

"Got it boy! Comin' right up!" The voice shouted back. Clinks and clangs of pots and pans and a flurry of knife chops could be heard.

"What's an Isshin Special?" Harribel asked, curious as to why the food item was named after the boy's father.

"Ah, it's a ramen set named after my dad. This is the family's favourite place to eat out at. There was once a competition where whoever could finish the most bowls of standard ramen in an hour could design his own ramen set."

He took a sip of the free ice water. "Needless to say, the old goat ate more than double of anyone else. My dad isn't good for doing much, but creating a ramen set? He can do that damn well."

"So, what does it consist of?" Harribel's curiosity was piqued.

"Well, the ramen has the standard miso base, but with toppings of pork, beef, chicken, and tiger prawns. Sides include gyoza, karaage, ebi fry, and tofu. Oh, and there's a Coke Float." Ichigo recounted off his head.

The sceptical look on Harribel's face hadn't left after the explanation. She raised an eyebrow and stared blankly at Ichigo.

"It's good, just trust me alright?" Ichigo offered a slight smile of goodwill.

Harribel sighed, "Fine, I will try this culinary concoction your father has come up with."

"Two Isshins ready to serve!" Came the call from the kitchen.

The waiter got the two hefty trays and placed them on their table with relative ease. Customers stared in bewilderment as she walked by them with the amount of food.

Harribel was wide eyed at the amount of food set onto her table. But the aroma of deliciousness filled her nostrils and made her salivate.

"Well, dig in!" The boy in front of her broke apart his chopsticks and started to dig in like a famished beast.

Harribel followed suit and tried the food in front of her. 'It's… Good. It's a new experience but I think I like it…'

Ichigo looked at Harribel as she ate, and couldn't help but notice the cute mannerisms she had. Her deliberate slow chewing, stiff and straight back, and barely any noise came from her. "You don't have to be so stiff you know, just eat in comfort. Or is the food not nice?"

She waved her hands infront of her, "No, no, its not that its not nice. Its just how I read humans are supposed to eat."

Ichigo tried to stifle a laugh but some of it slipped, "Really? You don't have to do that. Just get comfy." He picked up a chunk of beef from Harribel's bowl and stuffed it into her mouth before she could say anything.

At first, she glared at Ichigo and crossed her arms. But as she chewed more she slowly let herself go. She relaxed and mimicked the way the boy in front of her sat and ate. He took note and smiled brightly. "Next time, I'll let you choose the place. You have all types of meat in your bowl, so figure out which is your favourite."

'Next time huh?' She thought to herself with a reserved smile. 'Seems like I was wrong.' She looked at the smiling boy in front of her. 'This is definitely better than just good… This is spectacular food.'

"Very well, I believe I would like a place that serves this next time." She gave a toothy grin and picked up a tiger prawn.

"Seafood huh? Somehow I figured you'd like that the most." Ichigo chuckled, "We'll go seafood next time then." And they both dug into their food again.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Jab, jab, dodge, hook!" Chad gave instructions to the two menaces of Fairy Tail's guild brawls. He held the pads up in his hands as he thought the boys proper boxing. He could hear the sounds of Tatsuki practising from the other end of the gym.

"No, no… Don't throw your hooks just for the sake of it. Don't stop your strike at impact, follow through with it." Chad coached the boys.

"Easy for you to say damn it… and what do you even mean by that?" Natsu was sweating buckets, and so was Gray.

"Watch." Chad told the boys as he walked to the punching bag. "See, this is what you're doing." Chad pulled his fist back and struck the bag hard. It rattled and shook on impact, the chain clanking echoed through the gym. "And this is what I'm telling you to do." He followed the same steps at first, pulling back the fist and pivoting his foot. But the impact was worlds apart. The bag practically folded around Chad's fist as it dug into the punching bag. The back of the punching bag split open slightly and when Chad pulled his fist back, a tear from his middle knuckle could be seen. Sand leaked from both openings.

Natsu and Gray's jaws hit the floor.

"Now, practice that hook some more." Chad held his palm up.

Natsu and Gray's focus steadied. "Yes Sir!"

They both took their turns whacking the pads in Chad's hands for what seemed like hours. Their shoulders burned with lactic acid and their breath hastened to short, desperate pants for oxygen.

"Better. Could still use some more work though. Train on increasing the speed of your punches. The faster you hit something, the more damage you'll do to it." Chad laid the pads down and started packing up. "Come on, we can grab some lunch then if you want I'll show you around town a little."

The thought of food caused the dragon slayer to jump to his feet, dragging an exhausted and irritated Gray behind him as he ran towards the lockers.

Chad smiled a bit and called out, "Tatsuki! We're gonna get some food! Finish up quick!"

He heard the shout from the other end of the gym. "Gotcha big guy!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Not that I mind, but why are you interested in the library of all places?" Uryu questioned as he read the thick book with yellowing pages on his lap.

"Its always good to gather as much information about the location you are in." Erza answered as she sifted through book after book, looking for the right information she so desired.

"And what information would that be exactly?" Uryu asked, shutting the book in his hands after he folded the corner of the page he was last reading.

Erza paused her book searching, and looked back to match his glance. "If I am to be honest, I want to learn how the people of your world have reached such levels of strength. It's not that I want to boast but, in Earthland I could be considered a top tier mage. The names of the people that are definitely stronger than me probably wouldn't exceed a single page of that book if I were to write it down. But people like Ichigo, Harribel, Grimmjow, and the rest of your guild have us beat handily. It couldn't be just simple training. There has to be a way for us to reach it."

Uryu analysed the woman in front of him very carefully. Her mannerisms so far have shown no hostility towards them, nor does it seem like she, and her other-worldly companions, want a fight. "The information you want is not going to be found in books such as these. Hell, I don't even think you can find that information in Soul Society very easily. But I can tell you that reaching Ichigo's level of power is just not possible for you or your friends. Others, like the lieutenants or seated members, I believe you can reach. The reasoning behind it is quite simple really. Even to those from Ichigo's world, or worlds to be more specific, he's a special case. The amalgamation of Soul Reaper, Hollow, Quincy, and Human all together. A mixed blooded hybrid to some, a transcendent not of this plane to others. As much as I hate to admit this, I couldn't come close to Ichigo's powers no matter how hard I trained." He ended off with a frown. Clearly unhappy his cousin and rival has taken such a huge lead ahead of him.

The news wasn't as much of a shock to Erza as it was a reminder of reality. Her spirits weren't dampened though. "Just because it's impossible doesn't mean I can't try. But you have mentioned before that you've had to fight in wars and such. Shouldn't it have been a breeze if you had someone as strong as Ichigo on your side?"

"Ichigo may be monstrous in strength, but the opponents he faced… They were true monsters. By every definition of the word. Two of them nearly destroyed the Soul Society singlehandedly on separate occasions. I still can't believe we won the last war." He sighed, thinking back to when they were just humble ryoka on a mission to save a friend from an unjust execution. "Ichigo is definitely strong I'll grant you that. But the people that he's had to face, were much stronger than him. The only reason why he managed to beat them was either through sheer willpower and toughing it out, letting everything he believed about honour go, sacrificing all he had, teamwork, or sometimes just sheer dumb luck."

It was a horrifying thought, an evil force with such immense strength. She thought about what she'd do if that kind of thing were to happen to their world. "Of those people, one of them is the person Natsu mentioned right? Yhwach? Could you tell me more about him?"

Uryu stood up and placed the book back into the empty space on the bookshelf. He patted down his shirt and turned towards the door. "Let's go, no book here will give you the information you seek. Let's have a bite of food, then you can explore the town more if you like."

Erza understood when she had crossed the line. She could tell it was still a topic that they did not want to discuss. Especially with a stranger such as her. She took the silent hint and dropped the subject immediately. "Some food does sound nice."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"So, what is it that you two like to do for fun anyway?" Lucy asked the two girls beside her as they made their way down the shopping aisles. She watched as Orihime picked out two packages of red bean paste and add it into her cart. She was beginning to think Orihime shopped for ingredients by playing roulette with their names. Everything seems completely random.

"Hmm, I like to watch movies and read manga." Orihime answered.

"I like to play tag!" Nel cheerily shoved a few boxes of sweets and cereal into the shopping cart.

"What about you Lucy?" Orihime bounced the question back to her, gazing upon her with gentle eyes. Nel turned to look at her too, joyful curiosity shining in the windows to her soul.

She turned away, red in the cheeks. "I-I… I write…" She squeaked it out timidly.

She felt her shoulders get grabbed by a pair of surprisingly strong hands. Orihime turned her towards herself, staring at her in the eyes with a beaming smile, "I want to read your works!"

"Eh? No… I mean, you can but… I mean, its not… I'm not finished and…" She stammered out any excuse she could, but she faltered when Nel joined in. "… Fine… I'll let you two read it next time…"

"Hurray! C'mon, lets go pay for these then grab a bite to eat. I'm starving!" Orihime pushed the trolley excitedly. Nel bounded after her, dragging Lucy by the wrist.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"So, have you thought about who you're going to use?" Ultear asked.

"My, my, aren't you a curious one?" Jellal raised an eyebrow humourlessly. "I suppose there's no harm in letting you know."

'The fool's gonna try and use Ichigo I bet. At least this will be a nice way to get rid of him.' Ultear kept her poker face up.

"I'll be using Erza, the foreigner feels too… tenacious. Besides, its about time she witnessed the perfection I've built since she was gone." Jellal smirked.

Ultear's poker face almost crumbled but she managed to keep it together. "Is that so? I wish you the best of luck then." She turned to leave the room.

"Don't forget to do your part too Ultear." Jellal called out as she was leaving.

"Who do you think I am?" She responded in kind.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Ah… This is some really good tea." Kisuke exclaimed as he gulped the hot beverage and set it down gingerly on the table.

"Tastes just like any other tea to me…" Gin shrugged his shoulders and downed it.

"Now then, what brings you to our guild Urahara-san?" Makarov regarded them with a genial tone and suspicious eyes.

"Can't I visit my good old friend Makarov without being questioned?" Kisuke waved his fan in an effort to joke around. Seeing as Makarov was clearly unamused, he cleared his throat. "Well, to cut to the chase, we found this during the clean-up."

Kisuke pulled out a slip of paper from his coat and showed it to Makarov. "Lucy's father wants her back for some reason. Phantom Lord would have undoubtedly attacked you if they hadn't decided to attack us first. Instead of reporting the poor girl's father to the council for sending a form of kidnap request, we've decided to let you decide how to handle it. Consider this pay back for helping out our guild."

Makarov read every line on the paper with a steel gaze. What the other guild master was saying was indeed true.

"You have my gratitude for letting us handle this. However, there is one thing I wish to ask you Urahara-san." Makarov mouthed off as he read the paper.

"Hmm?" Kisuke let off a curious yet inviting hum.

Makarov pocketed the paper and looked up to stare Kisuke in the eye. "Why has your guild member- "He pointed at Gin. "-threatened to hunt down Lucy if she was not of this guild? And why does he even want to question her?"

"Ah. Well you see, Gin here has trouble communicating efficiently with other people. Rough upbringings do that to some. See, we mean no harm to the girl, we just want to ask her a few things related to Celestial Spirit Magic." Kisuke tried to play it off. What he said was not a lie though, he never intended to hurt the girl. Scare her? Maybe. But not physically harm.

"That is a poor excuse and you know it Urahara-san. I will not let you or your guild member harm Lucy in any way. There are other celestial magic mages other than Lucy, feel free to question them. I am all in favour of peace and prosperity between both guild, but I will not have my members feel threatened in the process. Please do ensure no more of these incidents happen Urahara-san. Else, it might cause unhappy relations." Makarov kept his temper in check, but he gripped the handle of his beer mug until his knuckled were white. He let the subtle threat sneak into the conversation, letting the man opposite him know they were not about to pushed around.

Kisuke smiled ear-to-ear. "Understood loud and clear Makarov-san. I'll be sure to relay the message to my guild members. Now if you'll excuse me, we will be showing ourselves out."

Kisuke and Gin stood and walked towards the doors of Fairy Tail. A black cat jumped down from the rafters to join them out.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

 **[A/N] Heyo! Story ain't dead! How's about that! I don't really have much excuses other than school and exams. So sorry for the long wait for the chapter.**

 **Review reviewing time! (Damn I missed this.)**

 **To Takemikazuchi: Weeeeelllllll, gotta read the future chapters to find out more ~**

 **To S1TH1S: The shenanigans will be plenty in the upcoming chapters.**

 **To TheUnknownUser2: Nope.**

 **To Goost: For Tatsuki, since she's appearing in the story, I guess its no secret to anyone that she'll have some sort of powers. How strong and what they are and how she gets them etc will be revealed throughout the story so do look forward to that.**

 **As for Yhwach, he'll be an integral part to this story. Look forward to more of his horridly OP powers down the line. I have a few plans in mind for Zeref, Mavis, Ankseram, Yamamoto, Starrk, and a few other characters that I'll reveal later on in the story so don't worry about that. Thanks for the review!**

 **To Ahurtrojo: I hardly think Yhwach vs Zeref would be a fair fight to be honest.**

 **To Speedyquader: He'll be a major player in the story in time to come.**

 **To The Age of Awesomeness: I'm afraid he won't be leaving any time soon.**

 **To yiggdrasil: Fair point, but I simply don't envision a world where Gin and Ichigo can work together well. Besides, one of the core character bundles in the fic is the Karakura bunch, cant exactly shove a Gin in there. Thanks for the suggestion though.**

 **To naes151: Wait and find out c:**

 **And that's all the reviewing of the reviews I gotta do today! Thanks for reading yall! Byee~**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **In a far-away continent from Fiore**

A tall and regal, yet aged, man marched up the rather steep slope that lead to a mansion that rested upon a small hill. With each step he took, the scabbard of the broadsword on his hip clanked against his armour.

It was a rather plain looking blade if one didn't consider the many runes etched onto the blade. The chain around his neck clanked loudly too with each step, the heavy tome attached to it did not help the man feel any less neck strain.

Though he supposed there was no way he would leave the tome in the hands of anyone else except a select few. God knows what the children in the orphanage would do to it if he had left it with them. He did not exactly want to come back to find a book containing immense power being drawed on with wax crayons. He supposed he could have left it with his wife, but he didn't want to burden her with more duties than necessary. It wasn't easy to look after an orphanage after all.

He paused as he reached the top of the tiring hill and levelled a gaze at the mansion. His pauldrons sagged as he stroked his white beard thoughtfully. 'I guess his promotion had its benefits… It's a little too… Avant Garde for my tastes though'

He nodded after his silent criticisms and smiled ear-to-ear, excitement filling his being as he knocked on the heavy oak doors. "Oi! Teruzin! Are you home old friend?!"

He heard the echoing footsteps inside the house as someone walked down the stairwell. The footsteps gradually got closer until the doors in front of him opened, revealing the man in question.

Long and properly maintained black hair spilled down from his dome, covering the back of his neck and ending at the shoulder blades. The front was kept clear of hair by a hair tie connecting it to the back. Sharp brown eyes lightened with a smile, crow's feet formed at the edges of his eyelids. His already thin lips pulled into an even thinner smile. "Solomon, it is good to see you again! How is the orphanage?"

Solomon on the other hand had not responded, taking up the same thinking pose he held earlier and eyed Teruzin carefully. "Hmm…"

"What is it Solomon?" Teruzin questioned cautiously.

"You look like shit. You look forty years older since I last saw you." Solomon ended his sentence with a nod. Teruzin's face twisted into a scowl.

"You're not exactly looking dandy either old man!" Teruzin nearly yelled. Leave it to his best friend to make the Grand General and Head Tactician of Sidgard retort in such a childish manner. Did he not care for his friend's reputation?

Solomon laughed heartily, glad he was still able to pull that side of Teruzin out of him. After he stopped laughing, he looked at Teruzin's scowl get even darker and he proceeded to laugh even harder, doubling over as he clutched his sides. Teruzin gave in, laughing alongside his friend.

"So, what brings you here Solomon? I thought you all but retired two years ago. Oh! Where are my manners? Please, come in. Make yourself comfortable." Teruzin ushered the relatively large man into his not-so-humble abode.

Solomon unstrapped his sword and left it on a shelf near the door, as per the custom of the land, and took a seat on a chair in the living room. He fished into his pocket and took out a piece of paper.

"The orphanage is doing fine by the way. Now then, on to official business." Solomon shifted in his seat to a more dignified position, one befitting a retired general. "I don't think you're gonna like this Teruzin"

Teruzin continued stirring the sugar into his tea cup of hot tea, unfazed. "Honestly, Solomon. After all that we have been through, what could possible spook you and I?"

Solomon placed the piece of paper onto the table, it was a newspaper. The first headline read ' _Mysterious warriors from another dimension? Friend or foe?'_ He cleared his throat and gazed at Teruzin with serious eyes. "Fiore has had some unexpected visitors. They claim to be from another dimension. Word has it that they're immensely powerful. The other continents and kingdoms are worried that this could provide Fiore with enough firepower to start causing trouble, or its an invasion from these new beings."

Teruzin's eyed widened for a fraction of a second before they settled back to the calm coolness that was expected from him. "That doesn't concern Sidgard much does it? No matter how powerful these new people may be, Sidgard can hold its own. We aren't exactly in dire needs of new trading partners either. Besides, even if Fiore manages to snag a new ally its not like they can wage war without the other continents and kingdoms all bearing down to keep the Union of Peace intact."

Grave sombreness shadowed Solomon's eyes. This concerned Teruzin for as far as he knew Solomon, his eyes rarely had the same melancholy they do now. If they did, it was a serious situation. Solomon opened his mouth to speak. "Here's the problem Teruzin, when they say powerful they really do mean powerful. The reports say that one of their kind took out the demon Lullaby in one strike!"

Teruzin almost spat his tea out. He remembered that accursed overgrown woodwind instrument. It was the cause of much strife during the war when wielded by skilled hands. Its demon form was no joke either. A well assembled team of A to S class mages could probably take it out, but one strike from one man? That was stuff only seen in the strongest of the strong. "Are you sure that wasn't just their strongest mage trying to perform a display of power? Are you even sure they're from another dimension?"

Solomon nodded heavily. "My connections in Fiore were first hand witnesses. The stuff they report in the papers are true. Which makes the situation even more concerning. If Fiore gets that kind of firepower there's no guarantee that the peace won't crumble by their doing."

Teruzin clasped his hands together and gave it a good thought. He sighed, "We don't know for sure what the objectives of these new people are, or if they are even keen on allying with Fiore just yet. If we can establish their intentions, then we can move forward from there. I'll assign a team of diplomats and fine soldiers to go and talk to these new people. I'll see if I can get them to send their own emissaries here. If all goes well, they'll either ally with us or stay neutral."

"You think you're gonna do it alone?" Solomon asked with a grin.

"You mean…?" Teruzin gaped at him. "You were so eager to retire! Why return now?"

"Ah well, after retiring and relaxing I realized that normal life is rather boring. Not to throw shade on the orphanage or my wife, but I'd love to take up my position by your side and serve this kingdom once more." Solomon's grin turned into a full smile. His teeth shined like his magic.

"But what about your orphanage? Your wife?" Teruzin probed.

"Ah they'll be fine. The orphanage is in good hands. My wife and her assistant Sheila will be in charge. I've left my wife quite a large sum of money to invest into the orphanage if she wants new employees or a new paint job and such. About my wife though, I just need a few off days a week to spend some time with her if that's alright." He sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

Teruzin shook his head, amused. "You were always like this Solomon. Fine, you'll get weekends off for your wife. I suppose you're going to volunteer to lead the diplomatic trip?"

"You know me so well. The rest will be back soon, expect them to roll up to the castle soon." Solomon stood and grabbed his sword, pleased with how things turned out. "Take care old friend!" He shut the door behind him as he left.

' _That man was the only one I couldn't predict.'_ Teruzin smiled as he was left to his thoughts. ' _Wait… He said the rest…'_ Realization struck him. "He invited the rest of them ?!"

Teruzin sprinted to his door, slamming it open. "Solomon!"

He saw nothing but the meadow. He clenched his jaw and shook his fist. He was going to beat the man for giving him so many surprises and heart attacks.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A hawk of pure white feathers and gigantic wing span had dive bombed on to his ship. Although he was seated in his quarters, he knew immediately at the sign of the bird that times were about to change once more. A toothy grin revealed a golden tooth with a strange symbol carved onto it. The man laughed heartily.

' _Bringing us on another adventure Solomon? How kind of you!_ ' He suppressed his chuckles as he heard his crew's frantic panic. He heard one of them running towards his chambers.

"Admiral Ingvar! Admiral! You need to see this! Lord Solomon has sent a letter!" He clutched onto the sealed parchment as he sprinted towards the back of the ship.

Busting through the door he caught his breath with a few pants before beginning, "Admiral! It's a letter from Lord Solomon! The seal says so!"

"Give it here boy, leave the room and set our course south." Ingvar ordered.

He did as he was told and carefully passed the letter to his admiral. "But sir… Our destination is fifteen degrees north… I thought you wanted to find the disappearing island."

"I've changed my mind boy. A letter from Solomon is sure to hold a promise of an adventure far worthier than some mysterious island. Besides, if it's a disappearing island we're looking for, who knows when we might find it? Haha! We'll get lost in these seas another day. Can't find something that can't be found unless you can't be found yourself, right?" The admiral joked, pouring a swig of rum into his glass before reaching a small canister of gunpower.

"Sir?" The poor man looked positively bamboozled.

"Just follow the instructions and bring us back to port. I promise we'll be having a fun time soon enough. But I need to meet a certain friend of mine before that. Now, get out and do your job before I fire you." The admiral levelled a strong gaze at the new recruit. Truthfully, he already forgot his name, poor man must think he's calling him boy for superiority sake.

"Y-Y-Yes Sir! Right on it!" He bolted out the door, relaying the message to the rest.

Ingvar scooped out a dash of gunpowder before mixing it with his rum and adding some orange juice. He sipped it and let out a pleasant hum. "Mmm. Such explosive flavour."

He laughed at his own pun for a whole minute before downing the concoction and pulling out another map.

"Now then, time to contemplate on why you have called for Grand Admiral Ingvar- The handsome! The wise! The desire of all women! - once more Solomon."

'Oh right… he gave me a letter to explain…' He picked up the letter and cut through the seal with a flick of the letter opener.

-.-.-.-.-.-

He would have sliced the hawk into two if it weren't for the familiar feeling he got from it when it came closer. The damn thing must have telescopes for eyes if it could spot him in the fog.

He lifted one of his swords and let the huge bird rest on the sheathed blade. He plucked the letter out of its beak and it took off, blowing a gust of wind that Fujin had to shield his eyes from.

' _Damn thing's gotten bigger again… What are you feeding that behemoth Solomon?'_ Wonder at the bird's diet set aside, he broke the seal on the letter before reading its contents.

' _Great… Another insane idea… sometimes I wonder why I even bother…_ ' He tucked the sheathed sword into his waist cloth and manipulated the nearby wisps of remaining fog into his face and it turned solid, revealing a red mempo mask. He affixed it onto his face, concealing the lower half of it with a demonic snarl made of enchanted wood. The cheek had an engraving in it.

He swung his hand and the fog dissipated. He picked up a large rectangular case and slung it onto his back. His right arm was adorned in multi-plated samurai armour that went over the light blue kimono he wore. He left his chest bare, but thankfully had worn baggy pants with a mist-like decoration of embroidered silk. He had shin guards but wore simple sandals. He started walking in the vicinity of the town he slowly came to call home. Which was a miracle with a globe trotter like him.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He just had yet another victory when the white bird came to him. He ran a hand through his golden locks and flashed a smile at the spectators that cheered for him in the arena.

One of his adoring fans had thrown her handkerchief at him. He managed to catch it out of the air and cleaned the blood off his bejewelled claymore. This blood was no good, too ugly to be used in any way. He tossed the handkerchief backwards, it landed on the red-stained sand. It made his fans cheer even harder. He sheathed it and laid a hand on the hilt, only letting the engraved diamond pommel show. He spread his arms wide as he accepted the flowers thrown in his direction. The hawk perched itself on his right forearm and squawked at him, letter in its beak.

He was no fool. He knew the hawk was Solomon's. He looked forward to the beautiful contents inside.

He flicked a small dagger at the seal and opened the parchment, reading it in front of the thousands of eyes.

He clenched his jaw and lightly touched the scar that was left on the right side of his beautiful face.

'So, new faces eh? I wonder how beautiful they are. Perhaps they will be able to draw that nasty dragon out of hiding. Then I, Narcissus will strike it down and cleanse the world of its ugliness!' He whipped his hair backwards, causing another surge of cries from fans.

"I apologize my loyal fans! I have been summoned! Fret not however, I may get an opportunity to kill the disgusting beast that left me this-"He pointed to his scar. Causing a jeer from the crowd towards the beast. "So, I seek your understanding. I, Narcissus, the greatest gladiator this world has seen shall take a break from the arena!"

Cries of complaint rang through the air.

"Do not cry my pretty birds! I shall return one day and sweep the arena with the new generation! Till then, I bid thee farewell! Just for today, I shall give everyone an autograph on a location of their pleasing!" He bowed to the crowd.

The cheers skyrocketed, and people nearly trampled each other to get in line for Narcissus' autograph.

He sighed internally. ' _This might take a while Solomon. I do apologize if I'm fashionably late.'_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It seems the wolves chased off the bird. It left a letter on the forest floor before it left though. The loyal beasts fetched it for her.

She put down her bow and took a look inside. She finished reading the letter and whistled loudly. All members of her pack gathered around her. "The hunt begins once more my children. Let us pray for a glorious catch."

The gathered wolves howled into the sky. She closed her eyes and smiled. ' _Its been so long since I've seen them. I wonder if all of them will be there. I doubt it, but I can hope_.'

The queen of the hunt picked up her bow and stalked down the path to a large clearing, with only one tree in the middle. It was a large tree, easily overshadowing the rest as it shot up above the canopy.

She knocked on the bark and called out, "Gaia, Solomon has requested for us. He and Teruzin need our aid once more."

The body of the tree morphed its wood, slowly forming a human in the bark. She was stark naked except for the limbs which were attached to the tree. "I suppose it is time for me to wake from my slumber, Devana. Give me a bit to get ready and we shall head back to the capital." She flashed a kind smile before detaching herself from the tree. It instantly burst into green particles before spreading itself into the surrounding greenery, making them grow a staggering amount.

"The forest is happy. I wish for it to be this way when I come back." She used large leaves to fashion a dress. Her feet were bare, yet with every step she took, it was almost like as if a root came up from the ground for her to place her foot on.

"I'm sure it will be, now hurry up. The pack is anxious to travel out again." Devana slung the bow onto her back and tightened the wolf fur coat.

-.-.-. **The Kurosaki Household -.-.-.**

"Ichi-nii! Food is ready!" Yuzu called out from the kitchen. She had set the table, with a huge pot in the middle and an equivalently big ladle in it. The aromatic blend of spices bombarded the house with a savoury curry scent the instant she lifted off the heavy pot lid. The residents of which, salivated heavily at the heavenly smell.

First one in the kitchen was Karin, covering a tiny distance as she moved from the living room couch. She assisted her sister with the drinks, pouring a sweet sparkling lemonade they bought from the minimart earlier. She had poured a glass to almost full and set it down when the next person arrived into the kitchen.

The energetic green ball known as Nel bounced into the kitchen, holding onto Orihime's and Lucy's hands as she dragged the two in. She sat herself down and beamed at the food in front of her, the glistening coat of deep friend breadcrumbs on the pork cutlet shined invitingly to her. The curry caught her with its delicious scent and reeled her in.

She reached out to try one of the deep-fried cuts of meat before her hand was tapped with a wooden spoon.

"Wait for rest too Nel-chan!" Yuzu chided, brandishing the wooden spoon with promise to smack her hand again if she didn't comply.

Nel pouted and her hand retreated as she sat cross legged on the chair, staring longingly at the feast in front of her.

Orihime and Lucy shared a giggle and sat next to Nel.

The rest started pouring in soon enough. Erza, Uryu, Ichigo, and Harribel strolled in and took their seats. Ichigo was sat next to Orihime and Harribel sat next to him. Opposite Ichigo sat his two sisters and Uryu. Erza took a seat next to Lucy.

Now all they were missing was Chad, Tatsuki, Natsu, Gray, and Isshin. To fill in the waiting time, Yuzu decided to open up with a little small talk.

"So, what did you guys do today?" Yuzu chirped happily, staring intently at Ichigo's new friends.

Erza took the initiative and answered the curious girl first. "Ahem. First Ishida-san and I went to the library. I was hoping to find a few books for information about this place."

Karin interjected, "You wanna know about Karakura? It doesn't really have much of a history. The place is as boring as a ghost town." She knew she was lying but to a normal person, that was pretty much Karakura.

"Ah no, no, I meant I was interested in finding out how you people are so pow-" A hand clamped on her mouth. Lucy answered for her in a panic. "Powdery! How you people are so powdery!"

A nervous bead of sweat ran down her jawline.

Karin raised an eyebrow. "Powdery? What do you mean we're so powdery? What does that even me-"

She was cut off by yelling outside her house.

"No… -an't barge… -do that… -Hey!" She heard the thunderous footsteps and a long yell of "Woohoo!"

Their door was promptly kicked down, and she could hear Gray's strained voice. "Oi Natsu! This is way too much! I know the food smells good and all, but you just kicked their door down!"

"I don't care damn it! I smelt it from a mile away!" Natsu's head twisted in the direction of the delicious scent. "There it is!"

He leapt from his position, about to crash land right next to the twin girls. He was caught out of his flight mid-air by a muscular arm though.

"Hey! What's the big idea?! Put me down! I wanna eat!" Natsu complained, swinging wildly.

The low baritone of Chad's voice cut through. "Behave yourself. We are in Ichigo's house. You're scaring the girls."

Natsu stopped his fanatical desire for food for a moment and looked at the table of gathered people. Yuzu and Karin retreated slightly from the table, and Ichigo didn't look too pleased. Neither did Erza. The rest just had their faces in their palms.

"Ehehehe… Sorry…" Natsu nervously apologised, still being held up by Chad.

Tatsuki sat herself down at the table next to Karin. "Just shut up and take a seat, I'm hungry."

Natsu miraculously managed to take a seat next to Erza in a civil manner. Gray just sighed and joined him at his side.

Chad sat next to Tatsuki and completed the table, except for one.

"Dad told us to start first since he'd be back late. Dig in guys!" Yuzu exclaimed. She took her brother's bowl and filed it will rice and poured a ladle of curry on it. She picked up a cutlet with her chopsticks and laid it on the side of the rice. She passed it to her brother. "Enjoy!"

For the first time in a while. A true, earnest, and unhidden smile graced the older Kurosaki's face. "I will! Thanks Yuzu."

The rest tried to hide their smiles at the little brother-sister interaction.

Karin let her smile show. "Good to have you back."

The group dug into their meal, absolutely tempted by the smell before.

At their first bite, the non-natives of Karakura were shocked.

'This is amazing!' they all thought.

Natsu let loose a shout of happiness. "This could give Mira a run for her money! This is delicious!" He hungrily wolfed down his portion before already scooping up more rice for seconds.

"I agree with Natsu, it really is some of the best food I've ever had!" Gray had finished his portion too. He reached for more along with Natsu.

"Now, now. You shouldn't eat so fast. It'll give you stomach ache and you need to save some for the rest too." Said Erza as she too reached for more.

"You're one to talk!" Lucy retorted. She couldn't deny though. She thought that the rumours were just hyped up. But really tasting it for the first time has opened a brand-new world for her taste buds. 'Looks like you got competition Mira…'

Orihime spoke up too. "Told you guys it would be good. Yuzu's cooking never disappoints. It's so comforting too."

The girl in question blushed tremendously, not used to the swarm of compliments. "I-I'm glad you all enjoy the food." She nervously tried to hide her face as she took a bite of meat.

Ichigo and Karin ate with a look of tranquillity. Unperturbed by the surrounding noise.

"This tastes way better than anything I've had before!" Nel excitedly exclaimed, a half-chewed piece of cutlet still hanging from her teeth.

"Chew your food before talking. It would be rude otherwise." Harribel chided, reminded of what Ichigo had told her earlier in the day.

"Oh, come on Harribel, you can't deny it really is the best. Maybe you're just not eating enough, here!" Nel picked up a piece of pork and shoved it into Harribel's mouth.

She stared at Nel angrily while chewing, making for a hilariously cute sight. She swallowed.

"Well, it's the best ain't it?" Nel said.

"…Yes, but that does not give you an excuse to be rude." Harribel turned away as she bit into another one. She took a sip of the lemonade to wash the heavy taste before digging in for more.

The Karakura Four- Five, if you included Tatsuki- smiled at the sight. It wasn't everyday their once mortal enemy had dinner with them.

"But what Orihime said really is true. It has a comforting quality to it. I feel like I could it days on end and never get full." Harribel commented.

Karin took the opportunity to speak up, "Ah yeah, that's sort of Yuzu's talent really. Our home could never be complete without her."

Yuzu squeaked, "Karin! Don't say such embarrassing things!" She was red as a strawberry.

"She's even been accepted into Japan's top culinary high school already! And she isn't even on the last year of middle school!" Karin added on another layer of Yuzu's achievements into the conversation.

"Oh yeah, I was wondering how the application went. Not that I was worried, I knew you'd be accepted. Leave it to my little sister to go and get accepted by Totsuki at such a young age." Ichigo smiled.

Poor little Yuzu couldn't take it at this point. She covered her face in her hands and went to the sink to wash her plate.

"Eh?! You aren't gonna eat more Yuzu?" Natsu asked, now on his fourth plate.

"Oh no its quite alright Natsu-san. I'm feeling full. And I still have some homework left to do." Yuzu smiled gently as she put on an apron and rubber gloves and began to wash her dish.

"But there's still so much left!" Natsu exclaimed.

Now that Harribel looked closer, it was true. The amount didn't look like it went down at all. It was almost as if it constantly refilled itself. ' _That's strange, for a pot like that size it should be at least at the halfway point by now judging by how much they ate. It doesn't even look like we put a dent in it._ '

She stared at the back of the girl washing dishes. ' _This is certainly an interesting development if my theory is true…'_

Ichigo seemed to have thoughts along the same lines. ' _Her and Karin have both started huh…'_

' **What'cha gonna do bout' it King?'** Zangetsu asked.

' _Hopefully I won't have to do anything. But that's just wishful thinking on my part. I guess I'll to talk to the old goat.'_ Ichigo responded.

'Your sisters will need guidance. Who better to teach them than their older brother?' The older manifestation of his powers commented.

' _I'd hardly be a good role model. If they even think about doing some of the things I've done they're in for a world of nagging.'_

' **Like as I you have the heart to do that. Y'know, me and the old man could offer to guide them while you're away. Just need to manifest us.'**

' _And put them through the same training you put me through? Fat chance.'_ The offer was tempting, but having two of some of the hardest teachers he's had teaching his little sisters? Hell no.

'They will need guidance Ichigo. Guidance and protection. They can get strong with us. At least until they can train with their own spirits. Who knows if they even have spirits in the first place? We'll still be in your inner world, just in a form of meditation. If need be we can still be your weapons at any time." The old man advised.

' **Besides, do you really want the Soul Society to take over the job of mentoring the two? Its not like they had a peachy time with you. Imagine two more hellions they can't control. We'll be invulnerable anyway, any damage we take while manifested just goes away when we return. We'll be the perfect guardians. And I for one know that whenever you worry about your sisters the clouds get dark. Even worse if they got hurt. You know I almost drowned in the rain water when your sister was in hell?'** Zangetsu complained.

'… _Fine…Teach them until they're ready. Protect them.'_ Ichigo relented. The advice his weapons gave him was usually the right ones.

The two spirits smirked in his inner world.

' **When have we-'**

'-Ever done anything else but-'

'- **Pro** tect!'

With that, the spirits were muted once again. And Ichigo was pulled back into reality with Natsu waving his hand right in front of his face.

"Oiiii, Ichigo? You there?" Natsu kept waving.

The signature scowl returned to Ichigo's face and he swatted the hand away.

Orihime tugged on his sleeve slightly, pulling him in to whisper, "You were out for almost five minutes. What did you discuss about?"

She knew when he went into his inner world to speak with his spirits. It was much like how she would communicate with hers. But she never really got the sagely advice or banter that she often heard Ichigo complain about. She giggled a little, imagining their conversations.

"Nothing much. They're just looking out for my sisters." Ichigo replied.

She could feel the smile was fake. Call it intuition, but she knew he was worried. She knew he was lying but she let it go. ' _When will you ever depend on us Kurosaki-kun? We want to be useful too…´_

"Well, if its nothing, then I guess we should help Yuzu out with the dishes. I'm totally full!" She stood up and carried her plate with her.

"Good idea! I'm filled with food too!" Nel carried her plate with her aswell.

Harribel followed suit. "It truly was a delicious meal. I wish to have it again soon." She smiled at the twin girls. A rare sight if any.

Erza stood up as well, "I shall help my teammates wash theirs. They are clearly not in the position to be able to."

Ichigo looked over to their side and his jaw went slack. Natsu and Gray were both comatose with their heads on the table. Their bellies bulged. Lucy was trying desperately to wake the two of them up.

Natsu let off a slight burp and mumbled something about how he won. Before going slack again.

"They had an eating competition. After they were told by Lucy that is was rude if they didn't finish the food their host had provided for them they decided that whoever could finish the most food would be considered the respectful one. And so, they ate themselves into a food-coma." Erza explained

"It would seem their efforts were in vain… The everything looks the same as when we came in…" commented Nel. It was true, the food really didn't look like they had eaten any at all.

"It would seem Natsu managed to stain his scarf…" There was a rather obvious spot of reddish brown on his white scarf.

Soon enough the whole group except for the unconscious were helping to clear the dirty dishes and wash up.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Harribel and Nel tossed and turned in their sheets. Ichigo had been kind enough to allow the two to sleep in his room. Erza and Lucy slept in his sister's room.

The man himself slept on the couch with Natsu and Gray. Or supposedly he did anyway. Last she saw, he was talking to his friend Tatsuki.

She really could not sleep though. She was used to going to sleep the instant she wanted to. Yet right now she couldn't. There was a feeling in her that she wasn't used to. She couldn't describe it, but it felt… warm. It felt good.

"Nel… Do you feel the same?" She muttered.

"Mhmm, I don't know what it is, but I can't really sleep." Nel responded.

The heat they felt in their bodies suddenly died down. It was a pleasant surprise.

"Do you feel it anymore?" Harribel asked.

"Um… Nope!" Nel cheerily responded.

"That's strange… Oh well, let's leave it up to tomorrow to figure it out. Goodnight Nel." Harribel wrapped herself with the blanket and went to sleep.

"Nighty nights!" Nel too, wrapped herself with the blanket.

As they slept, if one saw carefully, they would notice a glow from their bodies.

-.-. **Meanwhile** -.-.

Tatsuki poured a hot cup of tea for the both of them. She set it on the table. She sat opposite of him, finding comfort in the warmth of the hot tea. And the snores of his guests signalling their privacy.

"Tell me everything Ichigo. I want to know." Tatsuki clasped her hands around the cup.

"Tatsuki…" Ichigo looked at her with a disapproving look, "Look… I would but I just can't… Its too dangerous to get invo-"

"Please!" Tatsuki rose her voice. "Please tell me… Its not fair…"

"What's not fair?" Ichigo asked.

"This whole thing! You go and risk your life for the afterlife and you bring the rest with you! Do you know how worried I've been for all of you?!" Tatsuki responded with heat.

She didn't relent. Cutting Ichigo off when he was about to speak. "Do you know how terrified I was when one of your _captains_ told me that you may never be able to come back to Karakura? When he said that we'll need these tickets to visit you?!"

"Tatsuki I –" Ichigo got cut off again.

"No! I don't want to hear your apologies damn it. Tell me everything that's happened! Tell me everything that's going on!" Tatsuki basically yelled at this point. She would forever be grateful that somehow the dragonslayer was able to snore louder than her yelling.

Ichigo's mood plummeted. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Fine… It was time I told you anyway. Its only fair…"

He went on to explain from the start. From when he was stabbed with Rukia's sword. His training. His first death. When he had to rescue her. When he almost died in the process of it. He talked about Aizen. About the kidnapping. About the time he died again. About the time he lost it all. When he had lost his powers. When he had been given them back only to have them savagely ripped away from him by Ginjo. When he was revisited by the Soul Society. When he had taken his first human life.

At that point they had moved to a comfier place. They sat shoulder to shoulder on an unoccupied couch.

Then he brought up the stories of the Quincies. His birth. His mother. His father. His struggles. The war. The fight with Yhwach. And the third life he had taken.

Tatsuki was on the brink of tears. Sadness for what he went through. Guilt that she was unable to help. Anger that she wasn't involved. She missed that kid that cried after karate practice. The kind mother's boy that used to make her happy.

She clutched his arm and wrapped it around herself, resting her head on his chest. "I'm getting a little tired, and you owe me this." She held the sniffles at bay when Ichigo tightened the semi-hug and went on with the story after a slight nod. She always liked it when he showed that level of understanding.

Then he told her about the new dimension. And how he was one of the bigshots there. How he was needed there for some reason. And how he was worried about his sisters. He stopped there.

"So that's about all there is. I've told you everything. I know you don't want to here it but… I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Ichigo apologised sincerely.

Tatsuki slammed her fist into his gut. He doubled over, not expecting it from this position.

"I… deserved that…" Ichigo wheezed.

When he returned to an upright position, he was hugged again by her.

"Promise me that you'll always keep my updated." She rested her head against his chest, hearing his heartbeat and moving along with every breath he took.

"I… I promise…" He wrapped her closer to himself.

Tatsuki smiled at his answer. She let loose a yawn, burying herself deeper into his side. "That's what I needed to hear… I'm getting real sleepy… Goodnight…" Her eyelids shut close.

Ichigo let a small smile appear on his face. He was about to shake her awake to tell her to get back to his room and sleep but he heard her gentle snore. He shook his head and looked at the digital clock. It read '4:16 am'

' _That's strange… The goat's not back yet… I guess I'm quite sleepy too…_ ' He let loose a yawn and looked at the girl next to him. ' _Goodnight Tatsuki…_ '

He rested his head on hers, letting sleep overtake him. The last time they did this was way back when they were kids… He hated to admit but he missed this level of intimacy with her. he just wished she'd show this side of her more rather than the punches and kicks.

When Isshin came back to the house with a bright smile and the slight smell of alcohol, he saw the two on the couch all cuddled up. He missed the sight. He grabbed a blanket and tossed it over the two, eyeing Tatsuki with a gentle grin. ' _You were always the third daughter Masaki was rooting for… You were the first one after all…_ '

He looked toward the poster. ' _Seems like your son has plenty of options huh Masaki? Haha! He got his dad's marvellously handsome genes, of course he would.'_ He chuckled to himself a little before wandering into the kitchen, smelling curry.

He lifted his plate wrapped in cling film and saw a note at the bottom. It was from Ichigo. He glanced over the contents and smiled.

' _Its about time you little rascal… I'm sure your sisters will grow to be strong.'_ He thought.

As he heated up the curry in the microwave, he wandered deeper into his thoughts. ' _I never thanked you for helping me raise your sisters… Even as a kid you were a much better role model to them than me…_ ' He dug into his food. ' _Her cooking is still as good as ever huh? Good thing Totsuki decided to sponsor her. I don't know how I'd afford to pay the tuition fees otherwise haha!'_

After the hearty meal, he cleaned up and prepared to head to his room. As he climbed the stairwell, he took a peek at his son once more. He spotted the smiles that graced both their resting faces. He chuckled to himself. ' _Maybe I'll start rooting for you too first third-daughter… You have some scary competition though hah!'_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-. **In the Soul Society** -.-.-.-.-.-.

"Kyoraku Shunsui, you have been called upon to examine the new realm and ensure sufficient progress has been made, is that clear?" Yamamoto spoke.

The kneeling Shunsui nodded, "Loud 'n clear Yama-jii"

The Head Captain's eyebrow twitched. "Get out then boy. Go and do your job. If I find out you have left this task to your secretary just so you can go frolic in a bar somewhere I promise you a world of pain."

Shunsui gulped a little at being discovered so fast. "Gotcha Soutaicho! Now then if you'll excuse me."

He placed his signature hat back on and dashed out the room, he had to rush to make urgent preparations. In truth he'd been notified of the duty a week beforehand, but he figured he could just shrug it off to someone else. Apparently not.

He grinned a little though, it did mean he could find Ichigo. ' _I wonder if the kid has even read a page of the book…'_ He'd be unsurprised, yet disappointed if he hasn't. It took him a while to write that damn thing. ' _Kisuke did report that they've been discovered in the other world though… I wonder how Yama-jii will treat the diplomat's requests._ '

He reached his office and stuffed some reports and paperwork in it before **Shunpo-ing** out and reaching the portal in record time.

After the officials had looked through everything he had and his credentials they pressed his palm against the stamp, revealing the limiter tattoo. Shunsui pressed his palm against the gates and they swung open for him, revealing the other side at the end.

He took a slow walk to the other end and popped out, breathing in the air of Earthland. ' _Smells a little musty to be honest_ ' He looked around and noticed that he was in the basement. ' _Ah… That must be why.'_ He walked up the stairs to find some Shinigami waiting.

"Captain Shunsui! We have been expecting your arrival! A room as been set for you!" The Shinigami saluted, handing him a key.

"Maa, you didn't have to go through all that effort for little-ol' me. I appreciate it though. I'm actually looking for Kisuke and Ichigo, know where they are?" Shunsui replied kindly.

"Sir! Captain Urahara is currently out for a guildmaster's meeting. Lieutenant Kurosaki is currently back in the World of the living on a vacation!" The guard answered.

"Aw shucks. I guess I'll just have to wait for Kurosaki to get back then. Could you give me some directions and details as to where Kisuke went?" Shunsui asked, setting down his bag of stuff.

"Yes Sir!" The guard pulled out a map of the city and gave Shunsui extremely detailed instructions.

Shunsui took in all the information with a nod. "I'll be paying him a visit then, I hope he doesn't mind if I butt in during working hours."

Shunsui lazily walked out of the guild's main doors and started slowly shunpo-ing to his destination.

Along the way he passed by a guild called 'Fairy Tail' He could feel some of Ichigo's and Orihime's residual spiritual pressure in the building. They must have been there recently.

' _Already making new friends? You're a scary kid Kurosaki'_ Shunsui chuckled.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 **[A/N] Greetings one and all, I have risen from the dead and so has this story! Well, in truth I kinda got sidetracked with life and didn't find the motivation to write for a while. Till a few days back where I started reading fanfics again, and it got my lazy ass inspired to give you loyal readers something. I also took some time to re-plan the plot of the story. So essentially the plot's been changed but it still fits the current chapters I hope. Also, new OCs ! I took a while to think about them and what they should be like, but they'll be featured in this story a bunch too. I will do my best to flesh out their characters and histories so they'll feel like just another beloved character in this fanfic. There have been slight hints to their powers in their introductions so feel free to try and guess.**

 **Also, the fairy tail world is no longer going to consist of the few continents and countries we know of. I plan to expand it even further and bring new interesting areas and characters to life.**

 **It feels a little daunting to be writing something of this kinda scale where so many major characters are planned to be involved but I'll do my best.**

 **I'll hold off on the review reviewing this time since Im still a little ashamed to respond T.T Hope you enjoyed!**


	19. Chapter 19

**-. -The Kurosaki Household-. -**

"They're so cute together, don't you think?" A hushed little voice whispered.

"I don't know if I approve or not…" A second voice whispered back.

Yuzu laughed a little, "Why not?" she quietly asked.

Karin shrugged, "Don't know… Just got a feeling."

Yuzu pouted a little and continued to spy at their brother from atop the stairwell. They were usually the first ones awake since Yuzu had to cook breakfast and Karin had to get ready for school. They had their daily routines, so they always woke up at six in the morning sharp. As much as Yuzu wanted to cook up a good breakfast for the whole gang, she didn't want to disturb the pair on the couch. She smiled, it wasn't always she found her brother with such a peaceful look.

Karin just looked on with a mild scowl. She might have been young, but she always heard from their father how Tatsuki used to, and still continues to beat him at times. She knew her brother was a tough guy but there was a limit to the number of beatings he got.

The twins almost shrieked when a hand clamped itself down onto each of their shoulders.

"Don't you two know its rude to stare?" Erza asked from behind them, a stern undertone inflecting her voice.

"Don't _you_ know its not nice to scare the living hell out of somebody like that!" Karin whispered angrily as she whipped around.

"Ah Erza-san, you're awake quite early! I'll start preparing breakfast, feel free to rest some more." Yuzu tried to direct her back to her room.

"Of course, I would be up at this time, its perfect for training. There's no need to rush in preparation of breakfast, I eat my food late as compared to others anyways." Erza told Yuzu. "Besides, what's so interesting down there?"

Erza bent down to look over the twin's shoulders to look at what they were. She raised a brow, "Were they always that close?"

" _That_ close?" Karin gestured to the pair on the couch. "I don't think so."

Yuzu placed a lip on her finger and looked up, as if she was in deep thought. After a brief hum, she shook her head. "Me neither, this is the first time I've seen them so close too. Maybe something happened between them last night?"

Erza turned red, and a drip of crimson flowed from her nose. "I'm going to go freshen up."

She rushed into the nearby bathroom. The twins looked at each other and shrugged. She heard some stirring from below, and they saw Tatsuki starting to wake.

Tatsuki let off a great yawn and stretched her arms wide, accidentally bumping her elbow into Ichigo's torso. She paused, turning her head slowly to face him. As she stared at his sleeping face, the memories of only a few hours ago came flooding back to her.

She sighed and stood from the couch, letting him remain asleep. She stretched her back and made her way to the bathroom. With a single thought crossing her mind, 'I need to talk to that damn Urahara."

Yuzu and Karin scrambled to get back into their room before Tatsuki completely made her way up the stairs.

They shut the door behind them just as Tatsuki made it up. They puffed a small breath of relief as they weren't caught spying.

Tatsuki was reaching for the door handle when the door burst open. She came face to face with Erza in the doorway.

"Oh, good morning. I didn't know you woke up this early." Tatsuki commented.

"Good morning to you too, I usually wake up at this timing for my training. Do you know a good place to train around here?" Erza asked.

Tatsuki found herself surprised. Erza's lithe form did give off the impression she took care of herself, but she hadn't expected her to be so diligent in training. Ichigo did say she was a fighter though, she had to expect at least that much from her. Although she hadn't missed the slightly suspicious look in Erza's eyes.

"Oh, well… There is a track I use for running near the river, do you know where it is?" Tatsuki asked the redhead.

"Indeed, I noticed the river on my way back from the library yesterday. I'll head there to train then." Erza nodded and walked off briskly.

Tatuski looked at her retreating form. 'That's weird… Did I offend her or something last night?"

She shrugged it off, closing the bathroom door behind her. She noticed the individually packaged toothbrushes at the sink for the guests to use. One was opened and labelled with a red mark. She picked up one of them and went to work getting her pearly whites.

Yuzu and Karin opened their door and peaked out slightly, observing the surroundings.

They knew Tatsuki went to the toilet, and Erza was going out so they creeped out the room stealthily and made their way to the kitchen, careful not to wake the three men on the couches.

Yuzu started preparations for breakfast, and Karin helped her where she could.

 **-. – The King's Court -. –**

Two men were present in the royal court, seated at a large obsidian round table. Teruzin sat himself on a large throne of sorts. Different from the King's throne a stone's throw away which was currently empty. Solomon sat himself on a small cylinder of solid light.

Teruzin massaged his temples as the silk black hair cascaded over his fingers. The sharp scowl on his face repelled the nearby servants from questioning if he was alright. His body hunched itself over, wishing to disappear from the court and leave his headache behind.

His headache had of course manifested itself into a human by the name of Solomon. While he was happy Solomon would join the forces of Sidgard once more, he also found the man insufferable at times with the constant surprises and shenanigans he would pull off. 'The man whose righteous fury struck fear into the hearts of the wicked… also had the humour of a child… and the attention span of a rooster…'

He was brought out of his sombre state when a heavy hand slapped his back and a jovial laughter filled the air.

He shot a glance of ice at Solomon, who seemed to laugh even harder.

"Why do you look so depressed old friend? Our old squad is going to get back together! Albeit I wasn't able to contact a few of them…" Solomon frowned a little as he said the last part. "But still! Aren't you excited?"

Teruzin glared at him through half lidded eyes. "I want to puke… Why didn't you tell me sooner you would be bringing them back again? There's a lot of preparations to make to welcome them into the country you know? I've been up for the past three days trying to delay plans and notify the gatekeepers they would be coming back! They may be heroes, but they still need to go through the proper methods!" he half yelled at Solomon.

"Oh, don't worry about that Teruzin! I gave them all a letter of approval from you when I summoned them! They just need to present that to the gate-keepers, don't they?" Solomon slapped Teruzin's back once again and let off his hearty chuckle.

"You need my signature for those to be approved you half-wit!" Teruzin actually shouted this time.

"I know, that's why I forged it on every single one!" Solomon cheekily smiled, knowing it would put the final nail into the coffin for Teruzin's patience.

The blood vessel on Teruzin forehead nearly burst. His hands shook with rage. "I'm gonna kill you damn it!" He tried to wrap his fingers around Solomon's neck to strangle him.

Just then the doors to the court flew open, and a strong gust of wind blew in. "Gone for a few decades and I still come back to you trying to strangle Solomon. I guess some things just never change." Fujin commented as he walked into the building, holding onto a sheathed sword as it casually rested on his shoulders.

His short and neat chestnut brown hair flowed airily as each step he took seemed to generate some form of wind. Tiny cyclones blew the leaves and dirt out of the way of his steps. The clunking of the rectangular case on his back hitting the armour on his right arm, along with the tapping steps he took filled the silence. The fierce half-mask on his face twisted his look into a menacing one. His dark grey irises had a laidback yet dangerous quality to it.

Teruzin took a deep breath to calm himself down and smoothed his hair back into place. He offered Fujin a small but sincere smile, "Its been far too long Fujin, I hope your travels have done you well?"

"Its good to see you again Fujin! The weather's been dreadful lately, and I really did need a good gust of wind!" Solomon joked.

Fujin nodded to the both of them, sprawling out lazily on a cloud of mist he created. "The world's been nice so far. I'll tell you about my trips on the travel to Fiore."

"I'm afraid we won't need much long to travel there friend." Solomon remarked as he gestured at the tome around his neck.

Fujin and Teruzin both widened their eyes.

"You're seriously going to use a **Mass Teleport** to get us all the way to Fiore?" Fujin questioned.

Teruzin nodded in agreement. "Those spells are extremely powerful! Are you sure you wanted to waste it on something as menial as travelling? I'm sure Ingvar's ships can get us there in a few days."

Solomon waved them off, "Its fine. Its important we establish an alliance with them first before Fiore does. Time is of the essence for this mission. Besides, give it twenty-four hours and it'll be ready to use again anyways."

Teruzin chewed on the inside of his cheek as he contemplated the decision to use one of the spells in the tome on something as simple as transport.

The doors to the court opened once more, revealing two figures at the threshold. Devana and Gaia smiled as they saw the three men in the court already.

The taller hourglass form of Gaia sauntered in carelessly. A light smile plastered itself to her motherly face. Her hair was tinged with green and flowed down straight to her shoulders. The green dress of leaves hung loosely off her porcelain-white form. Her long legs ended in bare feet, a platform of leaves, flowers and roots sprung from the ground to cushion her feet from the ground.

Devana stalked in alongside her. Her streamline and agile form took silent steps, which owed some of its quietness to the knee high and engraved shoes she wore. No wasted energy was present in the moves she made, each one cautiously predetermined by her predator-like mindset. The large bow strapped to her back certainly added to the image. The grey wolf fur added a slight bulk to her, and the necklace of sharp teeth jiggled slightly with each of the steps. The short ash grey hair complimented her tan skin. They reached the round table.

Gaia gave a light wave, and Devana bowed slightly.

"Good afternoon Solomon, Teruzin, and Fujin. It's so nice to see you all again." Gaia commented. Summoning a tangle of roots and bark from the ground to shape themselves into a chair. She tucked the back of her green "dress" and sat down, crossing her left leg over her right and sat ramrod straight. A presence of properness oozed from her.

"What she said." Devana pointed a thumb at Gaia before pulling a nearby chair to the round table and situating herself on it. She squirmed a little as her self consciousness got to her. 'The rest were able to use their powers so fluidly… and their powers are a lot more useful than mine…'

Teruzin greeted the two on behalf of the three men there. "More familiar faces! It's a pleasure to see you two as well. Once Ingvar and Narcissus get here, we can commence with the meeting."

"It's a shame the rest can't join us." Solomon shook his head sadly.

The rest nodded along.

"Speak of the devil, I think I can hear Ingvar." Devana commented. Her sharp ears picked up the man whistling outside.

Just a moment later, the doors flew open, banging against the wall. Ingvar grinned brightly, his gold tooth and gold ring on his left ring finger glinted in the light. He stood tall and placed his hand on his hips. He shouted off into the room, "The greatest explorer and dragon slayer the world has ever seen is here!"

He bounded into the court with swagger, a slight jump in his steps. His hair had a deep widow's peak, and it was slicked back with some form of grease. Making it look like a black shell. His lips were topped with a fuzzy moustache, surrounded by a short and greying beard. There were evident rum stains on his navy greatcoat. The gold linings added a sense of prestige, along with the epaulettes and brass buttons. His rank was signified on his right arm, a sewn-on badge that showed an anchor surrounded by five nautical stars indicated his rank as the fleet admiral. A pistol was attached to his chest with a holster. A cutlass bounced at his hips as well. His baggy white pants were tucked into his shin high boots. He waved his hand, and a chair of water burst from the ground up. He sat lazily on it, giving off the air of nonchalance.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Odinsson killed more dragons than you." Fujin shot him down.

"Now, now, I'm pretty sure I killed more of those buggers. I have 298 collected teeth. No way he's got more than that." The admiral bragged.

"At his funeral, he was buried with 300." Teruzin added.

"Tsk. You don't know the exact number. Could have been 297 and they just rounded it up." Ingvar denied childishly.

"He had 300 exactly. I counted them myself." Devana cut in, the talk of her late father still disturbed her a little.

"Ah, my little Devana! How were you over these few years?! Your uncle Ingvar has been exploring whole new lands! I'll tell you all about it sometime!" He pinched her cheek, much to her anger. She pulled away, not wanting to be treated like a kid.

"Stop that damn it. I'm not a kid anymore." Devana rubbed the part of her cheek he pinched, slightly sore.

Ingvar looked around the table, counting the heads. "Eh? Where's that narcissistic cunt?"

Devana slapped him on the arm. "Language!"

Ingvar rubbed her head and ruffled her hair, "Ahaha! Look at you trying to act all grown up now! Let the adults talk sweetie, cover your ears if you have to."

Devana's cheeks turned a rose red. She slapped the hand away. "Stop treating me like a kid damn it!"

"You'll always be a child in my eyes kid, not until you prove to me you're an adult, I won't be calling you one." Ingvar laughed.

"When has Narcissus ever been early? The man always come up with some ridiculous excuse. Remember when he slept through the entire battle for Bloody Bridge and his reasoning after waking up was that he needed his 'beauty sleep'?" Fujin remarked.

"Now, now, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he ran into some important business along the way?" Teruzin chimed in, trying to keep the lambasting of the absent Narcissus low.

"He's here." Devana announced.

"Ooh, your ears are sharpening up! You might out do your father one day!" Ingvar joyfully noted.

The doors creaked open to reveal a handsome blonde-haired man with a scar running down from his right temple over his eye and cheek and ending at his nose in the doorway. His sanguine plate armour was pristine, the sunlight glinted off it marvellously. He walked with a confident stride, the armour adding weight and sound to each step. A fire-orange amulet bounced around his neck. The main feature of the armour was the diamond lion's head on the chest plate. It refracted the light with a pretty shade of red. His claymore bounded at his side, the jewels on the hilt and guard shone brightly. He was running a hair through his yellow locks when he heard a call from the table.

"What took you so long you ugly cunt?" It came from Ingvar.

"You're really gonna say that when you were just a few minutes earlier than him?" Devana muttered from the side.

Narcissus shook his head and he reached the table, summoning a chair of crystalized blood. "Such an ugly man should not speak such disgusting words. I fear not even my beauty may save you if you continue tarnishing your ugly self."

"Heh, who you calling ugly you cocky prick? I'll have you know women from all over the world lust over a sea faring manly man like me" Ingvar proudly puffed his chest and pointed his thumb at himself.

"There is a difference between proper, decent, beautiful women and the ugly whores that want to sleep with you for a quick buck." Narcissus responded, crossing his arms. "Now then, apologies for being fashionably late. I had to sign autographs for all my loyal fans."

Teruzin, Solomon, and Ingvar's blood boiled simultaneously.

"You mean you had us waiting because you wanted to sign autographs?!" the three shouted at the same time.

"Can't help if I'm too stunningly handsome. They were my loyal fans after all."

The rage simmered between the three.

"Solomon you hold him down. Ingvar you supply the water. I have a cloth." Teruzin whispered to the two. They nodded solemnly. Solomon wiggled his fingers, and Ingvar produced an orb of water.

"Let's all calm down for a moment. Teruzin, I believe you still have to brief us on what we have to do?" Gaia suggested, still seated in the same position.

Ingvar, Solomon and Teruzin sighed. Dropping the plan to waterboard the smug blonde. They took their seats once more.

As they settled into the chairs and table, Teruzin broke the silence. "The troops gathered are ready and waiting to deploy. We have around a hundred of them. Occasionally Solomon and I will have to travel back here to report to the King. Solomon, Gaia and Narcissus will contact the new beings. The rest will follow me to speak with Fiore's King just to ensure they're not up to anything."

"I got a question." Fujin raised a palm. "What happens if the new guys aren't cooperative?

Solomon's deep voice cut through the conversation. "Then we hope they are just as uncooperative with Fiore. If they really pose too much of a problem, then unfortunately Sidgard's banners must rise once more."

The hall fell as silent as a graveyard.

-.-.- **Crocus** -.-.-

Grimmjow looked up from the piece of paper he was given, matching the name and number on the building to the name and number listed. It was located in an abandoned quarry. He was happy for that. It meant he could let loose a little and not get caught.

After he confirmed the address, he started channelling a **Cero** in his right hand. He aimed it straight at the guild's doors and let loose.

The **Cero** punched a hole into the guildhall, leaving stunned members to slowly turn their heads and look out the man-sized hole. Miraculously, no one seemed to have been caught in the path of the ray of destruction. Once they saw Grimmjow however, they bolted up from their seats. Some wielded crude weapons of iron clubs and daggers. Others began channelling their magic. They squinted their eyes as they tried to identify the hooded man, without much effect.

"Oi! Who the fuck are ya?!" One of the members called from inside.

Grimmjow shrugged, "Doesn't matter to you lot. Where's your guild master?"

"That would be me you punk. I am Jukar, guildmaster of Iron Hawk." A gruff voice sounded off from the back of the hall. The voice belonged to a man in a suit of plate armour without a helmet, revealing a face weathered with age and battles. He pulled out a sword from the scabbard at his hip and gripped it tightly with both hands. "State your business boy. I doubt you want to join us after blowing two holes in our walls."

"So, you're the guy then…" Grimmjow grinned. "Well come on then, I don't have all day." He gestured with his hand in a come-hither motion to taunt the members.

A woman wielding a simple spear tried to rush forward at Grimmjow, but she was held back by another member. "Hold it Erina… Wait for the master's orders." The man whispered to her.

The members in the hall turned back to look at their guild master.

Jukar narrowed his eyes as he scowled at Grimmjow. "Daravan, take everyone below S-rank and flee. Follow the procedure." He growled the order out.

A heavy set man, lacking a top, nodded and slapped his palms together with a chant. " **Teleportation Magic: Greater Teleport!** " A magic circle appeared below the feet of multiple members.

Erina cried out once more "Wait Master! Don't do thi-" Before she got to finish her sentence, the magic that Daravan casted took place and the majority of the members vanished. Leaving just three.

Grimmjow yawned, "Ya done now? Are you sure you wanna send away your members like that? You're not gonna do much to me you know?"

A man in blue robes prepared a magic circle. "We're not fearful of that. We're just afraid they'll get caught in the crossfire of our attacks. Prepare yourself, you are about to face the wrath of the three strongest mages in Iron Hawk. I am Colt of Iron Hawk, the Ace! You shall regret not bringing assistance."

Grimmjow's bored eyes adopted a lethal gleam. "Are you underestimating me you little shit?"

Just then the air shimmered behind Grimmjow, and the upper half of a man completely wrapped in bandages save for his eyes in a cloak held a scythe up high. "Nuisances like you should learn when to keep your mouth shut. **Rigor Mortis!** " He swung the heavy scythe downwards to Grimmjow's neck, the blade had a dark maroon sheen to it which gave it the impression of being envenomed.

Grimmjow didn't bother turning back to look at the spectral assaulter. He raised his sword and blocked the strike. "Pathetic."

He noticed a bright light to his side and saw Colt casting what seemed to be a big, flashy spell. He grinned sadistically.

He gripped the scythe by the staff and swung the bandaged man in an arc, pulling him out of the shimmering air illusion before launching him at the direction of Colt.

"Ponce! Shit!" Colt shouted.

The timing worked as Colt fired his grand spell just before Grimmjow launched his friend. The large blast of arcane energy detonated prematurely as it hit him. Colt was caught in the explosion as well sending the both of them flying to separate ends of the guild hall.

Grimmjow smirked. "What was that about me regretting? Don't try and talk shit you garbage cannon-fodder!"

Grimmjow turned and noticed the guild master was missing. He looked left and right, unable to spot him. He heard a whistle of sound coming from above him and he saw Jukar coming down at him with his sword ready to slash down.

" **Lightning Caller!** " Jukar swung the sword downwards, but Grimmjow managed to block it with his own sword. 'Fast… Too fast…'

What Grimmjow wasn't expecting was the subsequent blast of lightning he received from above him. The attack singed his clothes and left a burn on his shoulder.

"How do you like that boy. Feeling shocked?" Jukar taunted, readying his sword once more.

"Tsk, is that really all a guild master is worth? I was considering taking off the limiter at first but you're not worth the trouble it seems. I'm going to crush you like ants!" Grimmjow shouted maniacally, he dashed to Jukar's side in an instant and swung his blade at Jukar's neck.

Jukar parried the blade and swung back at Grimmjow. " **Lightning Caller!** "

Grimmjow dodged the blade with a side step and shifted to the side once more to evade the lightning, but it never struck. He raised a brow, confused as to why he didn't get struck by lightning this time. 'It must only work when the sword actually hits something.'

Jukar struck at him once more. " **Lightning Bolt** " Lightning launched forth from his left hand as Grimmjow blocked his right.

"You're an annoying fucker I'll give you that." Grimmjow narrowly dodged the lightning by twisted his shoulders. "Truth is though, I can do that too."

Grimmjow charged a quick **Cero** in his right hand as he thrust his blade at Jukar with his left hand. Jukar managed to parry the thrust but before he could counter-strike, his vision turned red as he was engulfed in the **Cero**.

Jukar rolled backwards, dodging the **Cero** by the skin of his teeth. He was immediately back to being pressured as he had to dodge Grimmjow's **Ceros** and sword swings.

Jukar was backed into a corner in the guild. When Grimmjow was about to cast a **Cero** to end it off since he couldn't dodge, Jukar unexpectedly smiled.

" **Electro-magnetise!** " Jukar stabbed his sword into the ground and funnelled electricity into it. It rooted the two of them in place.

Grimmjow tried to lift his legs but he found they were stuck to the ground, in a fit of frustration he charged the **Cero** up again and was just about to fire it at Jukar who was still channelling the spell when he heard the voices of Ponce and Colt again.

" **Magnificence Beam!** "

" **Chopping Block!** "

He saw a phantom of a man ghost by his vision before he felt a scythe run through the arm that was channelling the **Cero**. Before the appendage had the chance to fall to the ground, he was blasted with a beam of magic. The unstable **Cero** in his falling hand also went off, causing a huge explosion that tore the guild hall to pieces.

Ponce and Colt collapsed to the ground. Ponce was still recovering from getting hit by Colt's spell earlier and Colt used up every last bit of his magic power in that **Magnificence Beam**.

Jukar's face sustained some burn damage, and his armour was blackened by soot. He stopped channelling **Electro-magnetise** and pulled his sword free from the destroyed guild's floor.

"Good job you two. He was no ordinary mage I'll tell you that. Whoever sent him must have payed top dollar." Jukar commented to the two.

Their eyes fell on the body in the middle of the guild, it was missing an arm and a leg.

When Grimmjow's body began to move however, they all rose in a panic.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Ponce commented.

Grimmjow slowly stood up, the heavy breaths he expelled were more from rage than anything else. His leg and arm began regenerating.

Jukar's jaw floored. "That's impossible!"

Since the coat Grimmjow was wearing was in burnt pieces, they saw the rhombus part of his tattoo slowly starting to disappear.

"Now you've done it… I'm going to crush you underfoot. I'll hunt down every single member of your guild and I'll tear them to pieces." Grimmjow growled as his body fully regenerated itself.

Jukar took a step back. "Ponce, Colt… Run. Now!" He felt a primal fear blossom within him when he saw the feral glare of the blue haired Arrancar before him.

"Not a chance. If he regrows limbs then we just gotta chop him into minced meat!" Ponce arrogantly declared before rushing at Grimmjow again, swinging the scythe wildly.

Grimmjow caught the scythe by the blade with his bare hands, petrifying the Iron Hawk members. "No way…" muttered Colt.

Before Ponce could pull back and retreat, Grimmjow suddenly appeared beside Colt in a jarringly loud **Buzz**. Colt flinched, and he felt himself getting cut at his waist before Grimmjow once again vanished in another **Buzz.**

Colt wanted to take a step back and apply pressure to the wound, but he noticed he couldn't control his legs anymore. Rather, his top half started to slide off his waist. Before he could process the fact that he was bifurcated, he saw Ponce's body split into two vertically. He stared at the open sky since the guild no longer had a roof, and he took his last breath.

Jukar saw the carnage, yet it happened too fast for him to fully realise what had happened. It was as if time had stopped, and when it started again, his two prized members had been split in half. His eyes dulled, and his grip on his sword went slack. The clattering of the sword was drowned out by the buzz behind him. He didn't care anymore. He saw the red light emitting from behind him and he closed his eyes. accepting the fate.

"C'mon not even a little bit of reaction? I wanted to hear you scream, I wanted to see you break down and beg for your life. Make this a little interesting, would you? Or are you gonna die as the same type of trash that you lived as?"

When Grimmjow got no response, his sadistic grin faded, and the same bored look took over again. He let the **Cero** loose.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Where are we going, Jura-san?" Lyon asked as he walked alongside Jura and Sherry.

"We shall be making a quick stop at a guild known as Iron Hawk. I wish to speak with the guild master Jukar-dono. He's a pleasant man. I've known him for a long time. I wish to see if he knows anything about this new guild in Fiore everyone seems to be talking about." Jura smiled..

"Wow, you have so many connections Jura-san! I would love to know more about th-" Sherry cut herself off as they took in the view after they reached the peak of the hill.

The guild that Jura had described would be here was absolutely destroyed. It was a blackened, smouldering ruin.

Jura started running down the hill at top speed. "Jukar! Jukar! Are you alright?!" He shouted. He ran into the guild hall and halted immediately as he saw what had conspired in there. The stink of death permeated the air. The grim scene before him sent tremors within him and ice down his spine. He almost vomited when he saw the bodies. Despite the copious amounts of blood he could tell who the halves belonged to. He swallowed the bile that lurched up his throat. When he heard the footsteps outside he shouted, "Don't enter! Don't come in here! For your sake!"

Jura spotted the charred line leading to a literal pile of ash. The thoughts that ran through his head would forever haunt him. He slowly walked up to the ash, hesitant and reluctant. He shook his head in denial as he spotted Jukar's sword in the ash.

'What happened here…'

Jura crouched at the ashes, sifting them through his hands as he watched it float off in the breeze. He picked up the sword and felt his eyes sting.

He heard footsteps from behind and he turned lightning quick, thinking it was the enemy returning. Yet he saw his guild members, evidently ignoring his advice. They walked slowly, taking in the grim environment around them.

"This is horrible…" Sherry muttered, hugging herself tight as she lightly stepped around the destroyed guild.

"We must find the people responsible for this and bring them to justice." Lyon tried his best to stand tall and be brave, but the wavering in his voice did not stop.

"Jura-san… Is-is that…" Sherry was ghostly pale as she pointed a shaky finger at one of Colt's torso.

Jura silently walked up to block her vision before enveloping her in his arms. "Don't look Sherry. Keep your eyes shut as we move out, we will guide you."

Once they walked out from the slaughtering ground, the guild members sat on the ground as they tried to process what they've seen.

"There was only three bodies… The rest of the guild must have escaped. We have to find them and gather any information about this incident. We will bring the fiends to justice!" Jura proclaimed.

"For now, let the dead rest peacefully. Let's head back, we need to inform the council and the other guilds of this." Jura beckoned for the others to follow him.

-.-.-.-.-

The quiet halls of Las Noches seemingly stretched on forever, the echoing footsteps only helped compound the loneliness he felt. Well, more accurately, the loneliness _they_ felt.

The arrancar duo Starrk and Lilynette made their way through Las Noches in an effort to find something interesting to do. Or rather, something interesting Lilynette could do. Stark wanted to laze around and sleep till the end of his days but the hyperactive Lilynette would incessantly bug him to be more active.

With his hands crossed behind his head, he recalled the conversation they had earlier with Harribel's fraccion after he had woken up from an exceedingly long nap.

" _She went to another dimension entirely?" Starrk asked, bewildered. He only knew of three dimensions and somehow Harribel's gone to a whole new one?_

" _Yeap, the orange haired kid Kurosaki asked if she'd want to tag along and help out. Since she owed him a favour she went along. Nelliel and Grimmjow also went with him. Hueco Mundo has to be run by us now…" Apacci exasperatedly commented._

 _Franceska Mila Rose also sighed, "Why did that old fart have to up and die on us… He should be the one running Hueco Mundo damn it. This kind of stress is not meant for us!"_

 _Stark's mood plummeted as he was reminded of Baraggan's death. He might have been haughty and arrogant, but he was still a respected figure and fellow espada. He still hadn't thanked the two orange haired humans for saving the remaining arrancars even after kidnapping Orihime Inoue and attempting to destroy their hometown…_

" _Do you know when Harribel will return?" Stark asked._

" _Not a clue, but she said if we need her urgently then we could go to the human world and contact a man named Tessai." Cyan replied._

" _Don't tell me you're going too?! We still need someone like you as the big guns!" Frannceska Mila Rose complained._

" _I'm not_ that _irresponsible. I just wanted to know where she went is all. I'll wait for her to come back and ask her how it went."_

Starrk yawned, drowning out the idle chatter from Lilynette by his side. He yelped when Lilynette stomped on his foot.

"Starrk! Could you listen damn it?!" Lilynette shouted at him.

"What…?" He rubbed the sore foot.

"When Harribel comes back, how about we trade places with her and head there? I'm curious to see this new dimension. Aren't you?" She looked up at Starrk with expectant eyes.

"I'll pass… I'd rather sleep. What's so interesting about a new dimension anyways. It'll just bring new hassles I bet." Starrk dismissed, eager to find his way back to his bed.

Lilynette stomped on the ground childishly, "Damn it! Would it kill you to do something interesting?! Its so boring to always just sleep and wake up to sand and hollows!"

"If you're so desperate for something interesting you're welcome to search for it." Starrk stretched his arms tiredly. "Besides, while the other espada are gone we need to take care of our comrades here."

"It's not like anyone's gonna attack Hueco Mundo anytime soon…" Lilynette pouted.

Starrk's expression grew dim. "You might never know when the Shinigami attack again you know. We're on the weaker end of the deal. Maybe that captain will finish the job this time…" He recalled how Shunsui had acted completely out of expectation at the end of their fight.

Starrk sighed heavily. "I really envy the weak… they get to be protected by the strong and they get along with average people… They have families and friends… No one's afraid of them…"

He looked out at the vast expanse of the desert solemnly. Lilynette looked on silently.

"I heard from the rest that Ichigo Kurosaki gave up his powers to defeat Aizen. They say he was as powerless as a normal human for a while before the Shinigami restored him… Do you think that's possible for us Lilynette?" He looked to his side, earnestly asking the girl for her opinion on the matter.

"Gah! What's with all this depressing talk damn it?! Who cares if the weak have people around them, we have each other don't we?! Besides, who knows what'll happen if you lose all your power? We might revert back to some mindless hollow and the Shinigami will put us down…" She rubbed her left tricep with her right hand.

"… Yeah… You're right… We're never meant to belong…" Starrk closed his eyes, almost like he was accepting his fate. "I'm just curious about one thing though… If the dimension they're in is filled with regular people, how are they even interacting with others? Shouldn't the spiritual pressure from even someone like Grimmjow be too much for regular humans?"

"That's just something we'll have to ask Harribel when she's back isn't it. Till then stop being such a whiner! I swear, you're sometimes more depressing than Ulquiorra was!" Lilynette shouted at her partner.

"Ah shut it, you're hurting my ears." Starrk continued his walk back to his room, yet he could no longer feel the endless sleepiness. Just like his partner, he wanted to know more of this new dimension. Or more specifically, why Harribel and the rest could interact with them normally.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I heard your guild was attacked by Jose recently Urahara-san, are your members alright?" The master of Quatro Cerberus, Goldmine asked.

Urahara nodded, "Yes, my members are all fine and dandy! Almost too lively sometimes… It's a shame Jose attacked though, the poor Phantom Lord members have nowhere to go now." Urahara shook his head.

"Ah don't worry about that, from what I've heard many of them found new guilds already! Even Makarov here took in two of their members." Yajima gestured toward Fairy Tail's guild master.

Makarov cleared his throat, "Mhm, yes… I'll be taking in Gajeel Redfox and Juvia Lockser. They're good mages with lots of potential. I hope they'll be welcomed by my members."

"Speaking of that Maki-chan! Urahara-chan, didn't you take a member into yours as well? Sol was it?" Bob, the effeminate master of Blue Pegasus asked.

"Hmm? Oh him… We were supposed to receive him into ours, but he up and vanished on us… I think I heard he plans to travel to another continent and start anew there." Urahara waved it off.

Yajima stroked his chin, "That's a shame, I was looking forward to seeing how a person from Earthland would progress in your guild."

"Why is that? I'm sure they wouldn't be discriminatory towards the locals." A jovial voice added. One that was not present until now. One that no one invited.

The guild masters jumped from their seats, including Kisuke, as they saw a man who looked to be in his late thirties with long curly brown hair with a light beard and eye patch sitting next to Urahara. The white coat was unmistakable, the guild masters instantly recognised it as part of Urahara's guild.

"Who the hell are you?" Goldmine exclaimed.

"The name's Shunsui. It's nice to meet all of you. It's nice to see you making new friends Urahara." Shunsui happily joked. "Oh! I seemed to have forgotten to bring a gift, how rude. To make up for it, let's go for a round of sake!"

"I'm assuming he's one of yours Master Urahara?" Makarov questioned. He was on edge.

"Ah yes, you could say that… Well, technically he's my senior…" Kisuke rubbed the back of his head nervously. "If you'll excuse me, hehe." Kisuke tried to play it off and laugh a little as he pushed Shunsui out of the room.

"Hey! No need to be shy Urahara, I'm just proud you made new friends is all." Shunsui joked as he was pushed out of the door frame. The door slammed shut behind the two.

After the door closed, the both of them used **Shunpo** to appear on a roof outside the conference building.

"What are you doing here?" Kisuke whispered to Shunsui.

Shunsui leaned in close, "Old man Yama wants me to check up on how things are goin'. Plus, I wanted to see if Ichigo had even bothered to read anything from the book I wrote for him."

Kisuke regarded him with narrowed eyes for a second before complying. "Ichigo should be back in about a week. I'd appreciate if you don't pop up in the guildmaster meeting. Explore the area, or better yet…" Kisuke whipped out a bag of jewels. "You can go to some nearby bar and get some booze."

Shunsui chuckled, "Trying to bribe me with booze huh? Smart… but we both know it won't work. I know Gin is with Matsumoto, I'd have to be blind to miss those two together at the bars. Even though you're supposed to be keeping a rather close eye on him…" Shunsui trailed off.

"To be fair you did say someone has to keep an eye on him, not just me specifically. Gin might be sharp, but I doubt he'll notice the greatest assassin Soul Society produced spying on him." Kisuke grinned. Yoruichi volunteered to keep an eye on both parties, Ichigo and Gin by slipping in and out of dimensions. Only someone with speed like hers could do so after all.

With a glint in his eye, Shunsui snatched the bag of currency. He smiled widely, "I wonder what booze this place has? I'll see you later in the guild Urahara." He vanished just like that.

Kisuke frowned at the location Shunsui had just been. 'Yamamoto still doesn't trust me huh…? That's smart of him I guess, I'd be more worried if he did… But sending out Shunsui just to scold people and get information? You're making your plan too obvious Head Captain…'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Uwah!" Orihime, Nel, and Natsu gasped as they looked at the divine assortment of foods before them. Lightly toasted sandwiches, fresh tossed salads, and different cuts of meat.

"So, this is what a picnic is?" Harribel asked as she reached out for a tuna sandwich.

"You've heard of it?!" Ichigo questioned, shocked that she knew.

"I have heard Gin describe it a few times. He kept asking Aizen for a group picnic. At the time I didn't know it was just simply getting together and eating outside…" Harribel nibbled at the sandwich as she took swigs of lemon tea in between bites.

Ichigo imagined what it would be like to have a picnic in Hueco Mundo. Sand everywhere and hollows crying out was not the desired picnicking environment.

"Don't make it sound so boring, it's a good way to bond." Ichigo shrugged, looking at the flowing river.

"It has been way too long since we last relaxed like this…" Chad commented as he stared up at the clouds from his relaxed position.

"You said it… There's been so much stress lately…" Uryu sighed.

"Mmm… Yo shishtur maksh wealy gud fud." Natsu commented with a mouth stuffed with sandwiches.

He received a smack on the back from Erza, making him choke.

"Don't talk with your mouth full" said Erza.

"But still, I feel like we're imposing on you guys too much… Your sister made all this food before she even got ready for school." Gray guiltily sipped on the ice-cold tea.

"Don't worry about it, she loves cooking for people. Just tell her you like the food and she'll be more than satisfied." Ichigo shrugged.

"I've been meaning to ask… Your sisters have light brown hair and black hair, your dad has black hair, how'd you get orange?" Lucy probed slightly into his family background.

"Not too sure about that myself actually… Maybe I got it from my mother's side? She did have light brown hair." Ichigo also wondered how he managed to get orange of all colours. He theorized that Zangetsu's natural white complexion and hair colour could have affected it a little.

"Speaking of which, where is your mo-" Natsu found a hand covering his mouth before he finished his sentence.

He found the hand connecting to a deathly serious Tatsuki. He started sweating bullets.

"It's fine Tatsuki. My mom died when I was nine." Ichigo recounted as he stared at their reflections in the river.

The cheery atmosphere plummeted.

"Since then I've raised Yuzu and Karin almost on my own. The old goat was hardly there." Ichigo joked, trying and failing to bring the joyful mood back.

"We at Fairy Tail all understand how you feel Ichigo. Most of us come from broken backgrounds, but we find comfort and family in each other." Erza spoke up.

"Yeah! That's right! When you join our guild, you get a family package along with it!" Natsu added on.

"What they said." Gray pointed his thumb at the pair.

"I lost my mother at a young age too. I'm glad I found these guys though." Lucy gestured to the Fairy Tail group.

The locals could only sit in stunned silence. It was rare to see such strong bonds.

Nel also added her two-cents worth, "You can always count on us Itsygo! We'll help each other through thick and thin." And then she glomped herself onto him, squeezing the day lights out of him.

"Urgh, Nel… Nel my back…" He managed to choke out.

"Oh oops!" Nel let go and covered her mouth as she giggled.

Harribel set down the plastic cup of tea before adding on, "Whatever that haunts you from your past, I hope you have moved on from it. If not, then try your best to. The same applies to all of you as well."

Uryu's jaw dropped. ' _No way! Is she actually starting to warm up to us?!'_

Ichigo let loose a smile devastatingly bright as he forked a slice of ham, "Thanks, all of you. Let's finish up the food, we still have to buy some groceries and I need to pick up my sisters soon."

The mood seemed to have been uplifted again, as human, mage, hollow, quincy, fullbringer, and a transcendent enjoyed the rest of their ad-hoc picnic by the river.

-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-

 **[A/N] Hello! Hope yall enjoyed the chapter, I tried my best to give an insight to the different activities that's happening for the different characters. Starrk and Lilynette make their first appearance in the story. Rest assured, it wont be their last.**

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 **Mateomeo3: In a way the Zanpaktou spirits, to me, hold their owner in the highest priority, but in the same vein, their owner's wishes are also important to them. Plus if their owner is constantly stressed about his sisters then it would make sense they would offer help lest they be drowned in rain water if something bad happens.**

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